Play To Win V2
by Creature of Grimm
Summary: "Congratulations, You Have Gained The Power of 'The Gamer', And Are Being Reincarnated In A New World!" So, I died and ended up in the world of Remnant, with my memories scrambled to the point I don't know my own name, and in the body of a baby. This is so weird. SI Gamer Fic. Rewrite.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so first off I am very sorry it has come to this. I know there are a lot of people who liked the original fic. I seemed to have written myself into a corner with it and man just not able to get out. so because of that I am doing this and starting again.**

**So here is the first chapter…again. The first part is more or less the same, so if you want to just skin over it feels free. It will start to change more when you get to the point where the Gamer System starts to take effect when he hits 4.**

**The MC will have the same Semblance, just want to let those who read the original know in advance, so people don't ask.**

**For those that didn't read the original version, welcome. This is a Gamer fic, obviously.**

**For both new and old readers, I want to make something clear now because it didn't seem to get through to some people before. I also apologise in advance for this little rant.**

**The main character WILL NOT HAVE MAGIC! I cannot stress this enough. I am trying to keep this getting overly complicated in regard to abilities. The Gamer power will be 'tailored' to the RWBY universe. Yes, I know there are people that have some form of magic like Ozpin and the Maidens, you don't need to tell me this, but the MC will not. I MIGHT, and that is a big might, give him some alternative Aura manipulation skills at some point, but even then I am not sure I want to.**

**Let me know what you think :)**

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**Disclaimer**: I don't own RWBY :(

0o0

**Summary**: "Congratulation '?' You Have Gained The Power of 'The Gamer', And Are Being Reincarnated In A New World!" So, I died and ended up in the world of Remnant, with my memories scrambled to the point I don't know my own name and in the body of a baby. This is so weird. SI Gamer Fic. Rewrite.

0o0

**Beta Read by: **eeveelutionlover2000

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Chapter 1- Let the Game Begin

0o0

I'm floating. There is nothing around me. I can't see or move. I'm not sure if my eyes are open or closed, but there is nothing but darkness around me. My brain felt fuzzy. There is no other way to describe it. Like a physical buzz inside my skull. I can't remember my name, or my family.

I know I had family, a mum and dad, older sister, and brother, but I can't remember their names or faces. Hell, I remember my dog more clearly them my family. He was a Boxer by the way, 8 years old and snored like a lawnmower.

Unfortunately, I also remember the bus that hit me. Literally it is the last thing I remember. I wasn't even crossing the road or anything, I was walking on the footpath when there was a loud bang! I turned around to see what it was and had just enough time to see the double-decker bus swerving towards me, one tire blown out and the driver trying desperately to regain control.

Then the next thing I know I am here. Floating.

So, I am going to assume I am dead. Between the last thing I remember before 'waking up' here being a bus heading towards me, and the fact I can't move or think clearly enough to remember my own name, it is the only conclusion I can make.

Not sure how long I've been here either. Could have been minutes, could have been days. On the plus side I am not in pain, so I have that going for me. However, on the other hand I am monologuing inside my own head as if someone is there to listen to what I am thinking, so there is a distinct possibility that I am slowly going crazy.

Even as I think that I can imagine several people who I can't quite remember properly commenting that I was already crazy before I ended up here.

But what else am I supposed to do? I can't move or see or hear anything. All I can do is think.

I also remember my sister once telling me that it is okay to talk to yourself, so long as nothing talks back. Then you need to be worried. I should add that she told me this after I asked her why she was swearing at her computer and calling it names.

'Bing!'

**(!)**

**Congratulation '?' You Have Gained The Power of 'The Gamer' And Will Be Reincarnated Shortly.**

**(!)**

Of course, it is moments after her advice crosses my mind that something happened. Though, it's not a voice, so I'm not sure if it counts. A blue screen with black writing appeared before me with a 'Bing' to announce its arrival.

It looks familiar.

I remember one of my friends once telling me about a Manga he liked and convincing me to read it so we could talk about it. The Gamer, it was called…okay, this is getting weird.

As if it knew I had read it, three seconds after I was done the message on the screen disappeared and a new one took its place.

**(!)**

**Before the process of reincarnation begins, please wait while the System scans you. This Scan is important to your future development.**

**(!)**

Okay, so I have no idea about this. I'm pretty sure this was never in the manga. Then again the main Character didn't start off dead.

I could almost hear a woman's voice in my head, talking in that forcefully cheerful tone that flight attendants use while explaining the safety rules before take-off.

Once again, three second after I finished reading, the message was wiped clean and replaced with a new one.

**(!)**

**The Scan will begin in a moment.**

**(!)**

**With nothing else to do but go along with it, I prepared myself for the 'Scan'. It didn't help. Whatever this scan thing was, it came in the form of a sharp pain stabbing into my brain in different places.**

**(!)**

**…**

**Scan Complete. Please wait a moment while it is being processed.**

**…**

**(!)**

**Thank you for your patience, your Scan has been processed. The results of your Scan will be considered during the Reincarnation Process and may affect aspects of the 'Game' later in your new life.**

**You are almost done.**

**Due to the Laws of Reincarnation, there are certain details about your previous life that you will not be able to remember. This is to ease the transition. However, due to the 'Gamer' ability, you will retain most of the knowledge of your previous life. However, your name is not included.**

**Please choose a name for your new life, (it will be 'given' to you after your birth.)**

**(!)**

**Name:**

**(!)**

How am I supposed to choose a name when I don't even know my old one! I don't even know where I am being 'Reincarnated', what if I pick a name that doesn't fit into the world I end up in?

Where do I even start?

I remember nicknames I had in my previous life, but I doubt 'Hagrid' would fit. If I could remember my old name, I might have just picked that, but there was nothing when I tried to remember what it was. I supposed there was my game handle, it would be ironic in a way. I liked RPG's, I think. I remember playing games called Skyrim, Guild Wars, and Pokémon. Anyway, I always used the same name, with slight variations when needed.

**(!)**

**Name: Grimm**

**(!)**

**Name Accepted.**

**You will be Reincarnated shortly.**

**Due to the fact you will be a baby, the 'Gamer System' will not become fully active until your '4th' birthday. At that point the 'Gamer System' will activate and the 'Game' will begin. The System will be explained fully at that time.**

**(!)**

**Quest Alert!**

**Survive!**

**Objective**: Don't die before your 4th Birthday.

**Bonus Objective**: ?

**Rewards**: Activation of the Gamer Ability, 400exp, and 25sp.

Bonus Rewards: ?

**Mandatory Quest**: This Quest cannot be refused!

**(!)**

**You will now be Reincarnated. The process may cause some discomfort and disorientation.**

**(!)**

…Ok, so now wh-

0o0

So, as it turns out, there is a reason people don't remember their own births. It is torture. From the perspective of the baby, it is loud, painful, and very confusing. One moment I was floating in nothingness, the next I was crawling through a tight space as it squeezes me from all directions. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't see, and everything around me felt slimy.

Then it didn't, I could breathe again. I was still blind, but that was because everything was so bright it hurt too much to look around. It was very cold, the air hitting my slimy body making me shiver. I could hear people talking and moving around, but it was hard to hear around the ringing in my ears.

There was a sharp but short pain around my stomach, large hands passing me around before a blanket was wrapped tightly around my body. I was still cold, but at least not as cold as before. I was passed around a few more times, people were talking but I couldn't focus on what they were saying. Everything was so loud and bright. The sharp ringing in my ears got louder with every sound. The blanket I was wrapped in was too tight and made it even harder to move.

Then finally I was passed off one more time, and I felt the warmth of a body through the blanket. A warmth that reached my bones and warmed my body so that I stopped shivering. The sharp ringing in my ears started to fade into a low, deep humming as I was slowly rocked back and forth. I could feel the vibrations and focused my hearing on it. I didn't recognise the song or whatever was being hummed though.

Slowly things got less confusing, all I could hear was the humming, all I felt was the blanket I was wrapped in, and the warmth of whoever was holding me. I was getting tired, drowsy. But there was something I needed to do first. It was still too bright to open my eyes, but I wanted to see who was holding me.

Fighting between the drowsiness and the bright light, my eyelids slowly started to open little by little. My vision was blurry, colours were mixed together, and I could only see a small distance from my face, but it was enough.

I was being held to the chest of a pale, sweat covered woman that looked exhausted. Her hair was, oddly enough, dark green and long enough that it fell past her shoulders and stuck to her face with sweat. My eyes weren't strong enough to see the details of her face, but there was a green stain under her eyes and over her nose, but my eyes weren't strong enough to see it clearly. However, her eyes, which were looking down into my own with some surprise, were a clear and bright yellow with a thin diamond-shaped pupil.

Her surprise was quickly replaced with a smile as she looked down at me, her lips pulling back just enough for me to make out two long and sharper than normal teeth. "…I'm so happy to finally meet you." She whispered as she pulled me close and kissed my head.

0o0

I never realised how boring being a baby was. F.Y.I, it's very boring!

You can't walk, you can't talk, and you can't control ANYTHING! Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is when you have to let someone change and clean you? Or how awkward it is to breastfeed when you are aware of what is going on? I was so embarrassed I didn't eat for the first three days, until the hunger outweighed said embarrassment.

Then there is the fact that I'm not human anymore.

It took about a month for my eyes to become strong enough to see things with any degree of clarity and the first thing I saw was the face of my 'mother'. It turns out that the green stain I assumed was a smudge were small scales. They melded in with her skin and covered her face both under her eyes and over her nose. At least they would if she had a nose. Where a nose should be was smooth…scales, and two holes. She also had snake-like fangs and a long, forked tongue that was constantly flicking out.

Her name was Jade Reaper, my mother. Making me Grimm Reaper...I am not joking, my name in this life is Grimm Reaper.

My new mother was half-snake half-human, and I quickly realised after seeing this so was I.

Though, to be honest, I really should have noticed sooner. Like my mother, I had a long, forked tongue and scales covering my face under my eyes and over my nose, which, unlike my mother, I do have. They also trailed up the back of my arms from my hands to shoulders and my legs. Though instead of green, mine were black. But that wasn't the biggest clue that I missed. No that was the fact I have a tail…yes, it took me a month to notice the extra limb poking out the bottom of my spine. It wasn't easy, but I was eventually able to get a look at my back and was shocked to see that I had scales down my back over my spine from the back of my head down that led to a small scaly tail.

In my defence, I could barely move my head or limbs at the time. Luckily, we weren't the only animal people. I saw people with cat and dog ears and tails, a man with monkey feet and a tail, and there was even a man with gills and patches of silvery fish scales.

I never met my new father, and my mother never mentioned him. But from the way other people kept talking to her and looking at her sadly, I am assuming he is either dead or had left.

There were even a few humans wandering around. Most of them were angry humans that glared at everyone and shouted at people to 'get back to work!'. Though there were a few that didn't yell and even smiled.

That was another thing about my new life. I'm not sure, but there is a distinct possibility that I am a slave. There were no whips and all the humans in charge did was shout at people, but all the animal people were dressed in the same dirty old overalls with missing sleeves and carried pickaxes and shovels. I also noticed that all the non-humans I saw had a tattoo on their right shoulder of a snowflake with a pickaxe behind it. Including my mother.

There were a few humans dressed the same with the tattoo, but they were outnumbered 20-1 by the non-humans and there were no non-humans in charge.

My mother and I lived in a room just big enough for a bed and a sink with no door in a corridor full of identical rooms. It was all very spartan. I was six months old before my mother took me outside for the first time. Before that she would ask someone from the other rooms on our floor to watch me when she left.

We were in the middle of a snow-covered forest, and from the slight incline I guessed it was a mountain area. It was very cold, especially considering all the non-humans only had sleeveless overalls. But then none of them were just standing around, all of them were working.

As it turns out, we lived in a mining town. A short walk from where we slept was a mine, with people coming in and out of different tunnels and pushing around carts of different coloured crystals. I saw teenagers working alongside the adults and even elderly men and women slowly carrying equipment from A to B.

The non-humans like me and my mother were the miners and the humans seemed to be in charge. The humans were also dressed in thick coats and hats to stave off the cold, since they were just standing around instead of working to keep warm.

I didn't know what it was they were mining, but from the way it was moved slowly and stored away from everything else, it wasn't just pretty crystals. They were sorted into different colours before being moved into separate warehouses. That was where the next surprise came for me, the people sorting the crystals were kids and elderly people. The youngest couldn't have been older than five and the oldest more than thirteen.

Like the miners they had the tattoo.

Food was handed out at specific times in groups at the mess hall, a large log cabin full of tables and chairs. The amount of food was always the same and there was very little variety and you ate what you were given. I had seen a few small groups going off into the forest's surrounding the mine and returning a few days later with a deer or boar.

If I had to guess there were about 300 people living and working around the mine, and another 20 humans that were in charge, and another 50 acting as security. So, a total population of around 370.

There seemed to be an odd mix of technology too. I saw people carrying guns and swords, and there were strange helicopter-like machines that would come and collect what was being mined, but they were huge! Several times bigger than anything I can remember from my old life.

There were 11 wooden watchtowers around the mine. Two at the mess hall, one next to the miner's quarters, three next to the building the humans in charge slept and the rest were spaced out around the border of the town/mine. On top of these towers were large…cannons, of some kind. There were at least one guard with each cannon at any one time.

There was a twenty-foot-tall barbwire fence surrounding the site and town, with armed guards patrolling it. However, while humans patrolled in the day, non-humans patrolled at night. So, it wasn't to keep anyone in, but to keep someone or something else out. While it was possible they were worried about bears and mountain lions, that didn't explain the cannon-like guns.

My mother spent the first two weeks after I was born with me before she went back to work in the mine. She worked down the mine 8 hours a day, during which I would stay with one of several other non-humans on our floor.

Usually it was an older woman with tusks that stuck up out of her lower jaw that lived in the room next to ours named Lilly Crow. Lilly was in her 60's and sat in a wheelchair. She was nice, like a grandma. Her hair was grey and her skin wrinkled. She worked as a 'Sorter', one of the older non-humans that were too old to work in the mine, so she helped keep an eye on the kids that sorted the crystals that were mined.

She would take me outside and sit me on her lap while she looks over crystals and told the younger kids where to sort them. First, they were separated into colours, black, red, blue, green, white, etc. Then they were sorted again depending on how dull or how bright the colour was. Lilly mostly dealt with the latter, she had a good eye for quality. At least that is what I assume she was looking for, I still wasn't sure what the crystals were, so I could only guess.

I saw that a lot around the Mine. Parents leaving their children with the older workers who didn't work in the Mine. It was like everyone was one big family, helping everyone else where they could. It was nice, to see so many people working together even if the conditions seemed to force it for survival.

I have a memory of one of my friends in my first life saying something about that. 'If you want to see the best of people, you need a tragedy to bring it out of them.' He believed that you only saw the best of people when something terrible happened, like a natural disaster or terrorist attack.

So, to sum up my new life so far, non-humans were doing almost all the manual labour while the humans bossed them around. Anyone old enough to work did, even children. Most of the food came from small hunting parties. We were in the middle of nowhere, possibly on a mountain and there was something in the area that warranted armed guards and manned cannons 24/7.

If nothing else, this was going to be interesting at least.

0o0

**1 Year old**

0o0

It wasn't until a week after my 1st birthday that I found out just what that 'something' was.

One minute everything was normal, I was sitting on Grandma Lilly's lap while she looked over the Crystals, wrapped up in a thick blanket from the cold. The next moment a loud siren started wailing all around the site, and people started shouting and running. Someone came up behind Lilly and pushed her towards the Mess Hall where everyone was running towards. The sound of gunfire filled the air along with the shouting, shortly followed by the even louder 'BANG!' and flashes of light from the cannons.

As Lilly was being pushed, she held me close to her chest. I could see over her shoulder, which gave me a decent view of what was happening behind us where the fighting was going on. One look was all it took for me to me to finally realize just where it was I had been Reincarnated. It also explained what I was and what was being mined.

Behind us, rushing through a hole that had been torn through the barbwire fence, were Creatures of Grimm from the RWBY anime. Beowolf, Ursa and Boarbatusk were flooding in and being cut down by the cannons and guns the guards carried. It was not clean. There was blood, and every time one of the cannons fired another Grimm would explode in a shower of blood and gore.

Ok, so good news, in my first life I loved RWBY. Bad news, before I died I was a little behind on the episodes and just never found the time to watch past…I think it was season 4? Maybe 5? I know Ozpin is a soul parasite, but nothing after that there than fan speculation and the odd Spoiler leaked that I wasn't sure was true or not.

Really wishing I hadn't put off watching the newer episodes now that I am living it!

Wait a moment…my name is Grimm Reaper…in a world where man eating monsters called Grimm were the enemy of mankind! I might have the worst name in the entire world. And I'm a Faunus, in what I now realise is a Schnee Dust Mine…the worst place for a Faunus in Remnant.

**BANG! BANG! BANG!**

Ok, this might not be the best time to be ranting in my head.

We were pushed into the Mess Hall and squeezed in at the edge of the crowd just inside the door before it was closed. A large, heavy wooden beam was then quickly moved into place to keep the doors closed.

I'm not sure how long we stayed huddled up and scared. The sound of gun and cannon fire constantly going off outside mixed with the roars and growls of the monsters. People were crying, both young and old. Most of the younger kids' parents were in the Mine so they sought comfort with the others that helped look after them.

When things finally quieted down day had turned to night, and by the time we were given the all clear to come out the bodies of the Grimm had already disintegrated. At least most of them. That was when I realised that there were inconsistencies from what I knew from the Anime. Because while the Grimm's bodies dissolved, the bone-like armour that grew on them was left behind and being collected up and piled up.

Again, I probably should have realised this sooner considering Faunus were only supposed to have 1 animal feature like ears or a tail, yet everyone I saw looked closer to a blend of the animals they shared their natures with.

0o0

**2 Year's Old**

0o0

Grandma Lilly was busy, so today Jade left me with a Teenage Dog Faunus named Grey and his girlfriend, a Rabbit Faunus named Willow. They lived three rooms down from ours and both worked the night shift, so they were around to keep an eye on me in the afternoon.

Grey had a slightly bulky body from working in the Mine with unruly brown hair and floppy dog ears that reached his chin, dark grey eyes with bags under them and sharp fang-like teeth. Willow however was slim, short and didn't work down the Mine, her job had something to do with the Dust Crystals after they were sorted. She had white hair with long rabbit ears, a white ball of fluff sticking out of her arse for a tail, and green eyes. She also had a constant cough and her voice always sounded a little rough from a raw throat.

Their room had a slightly larger bed to accommodate them both, which I was currently sitting on while they both stood across from me. My tail, that had grown to be as long as I am tall at this point, lay on the bed next to me. It was surprisingly easy to get used to having a tail, though it might just be because I am a baby. It was basically like having an extra arm…that came out of my butt.

I was brought out of my thoughts by the whispered conversation the two teens were having in front of me.

"I'm telling you it's kind of creepy," Grey whispered, watching me out of the corner of his eye while facing Willow. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest and his right foot kept tapping on the ground nervously.

"Don't say things like that, he's just a baby," Willow scolded him, her own voice barely above a whisper.

"But just look at him, he's just sitting there staring at us and flicking his tongue out. He doesn't move, not even a twitch. For Monty's sake, he hasn't blinked for the last 10 minutes," Grey shot back, turning to face me this time though still not looking right at me.

I decided within the first week of my new life that I would try and act as 'normal' as possible to avoid the wrong kind of attention before I was ready for it. Unfortunately, I have no idea what is and isn't normal. I didn't start talking or walking too soon, not that I could even if I wanted too. My body was that of a baby even if my mind wasn't. My muscles and bones were too weak to walk, and my vocal cords weren't mature enough to talk.

Though I admit, it was fun unnerving people by staring at them while staying completely still. Apparently, there was something about a baby staring at you without blinking that unnerved people. My Snake feature might also have had something to do with that, Natural instinct and all.

"He's a Snake Faunus. I remember your little brother chasing his own tail when he was 3. You know how it is when you're young, instincts are harder to separate and control," Willow said while frowning at Grey, slapping him on his shoulder while leaning against the wall.

"I know…but it's still creepy. I feel like if I look away he's going to lung and bite me…he's not got Venom, right?" Grey shrugged, before looking even more nervous as his eyes moved to the two fangs poking my bottom lip.

"I don't think so…Jade doesn't, she's a Constrictor not Venomous. Even if he did, it wouldn't develop until he's older, at most it would be like a bee sting." Willow shrugged, before frowning again. "And stop stereotyping him for being a Snake Faunus, we get more than enough of that shit from the Humans," she scolded.

"I don't like bees either…ow!" Grey muttered, only to get a slap to the back of his head.

"Stop it, your acting like more of a baby then Grimm is!" she scolded again.

"Exactly! He doesn't act like a baby. Another thing, who names a kid 'Grimm'? That's just asking for trouble," Grey said, giving up on trying to be quiet now and frowning slightly.

'HHHIIIISSSSSS!'

Both of the teen's faces shot in my direction, eyes wide in shock when they saw my lips pulled back and teeth bared, and eyes narrowed as the 'hiss' filled the room. Neither moved and Grey went very pale as he pressed his back against the wall.

"D-did he just hiss at me? Does he understand what I'm saying!?" Grey asked, looking slightly panicked. Willow just looked at me curiously, leaning forward to get a closer look at me as I let my face fall back into a blank expression even as she poked my left cheek with her finger.

"Hmmm, I'm not sure…" she said, her eyes never leaving my own.

We stared at each other for the next five minutes before she pursed her lips and leaned away again. Frowning to herself Willow stood up and moved to stand next to Grey again.

"Ok, so maybe we should talk to Jade about him. There is something…different, about him. Though it could just be in our heads, maybe this is normal for a Snake Faunus and we're just overreacting," she said.

Okay, so I'm not a very good actor. So much for going unnoticed.

0o0

As was becoming the norm for me, I stared silently and unmoving as the Doctor looked down at me from his clipboard. Though I use the term 'Doctor' loosely. He looked to be over a hundred years old, had more wrinkles and liver spots than skin, and his hands shook so bad he could barely keep hold of the clipboard. The top of his head was bald, with scraggly grey hair on the sides that looked like straw. He also had a giant pair of round glasses that looked like magnifying glasses, making his eyes huge.

He also seemed to start every other sentence with the words 'I think', like he wasn't sure.

'Dr' Whitey was his name, the cheapest Doctor the Schnee Dust Corporation could find to send out here for the Mine.

It turns out Grey and Willow had followed through with talking to my mother, which led her to asking some of the other people that looked after me if they noticed anything odd. Turns out I wasn't being as subtle as I thought, but you try acting like a baby all the time! Anyways, in the end she decided to take me for a full check-up just to be safe.

Dr Whitey took several scans, took blood, skin, and scale samples, and poked around my mouth with a wooden stick and a flashlight. He also checked my eyes, reflexes and reactions to sound and touch. Basically, they were doing every test they could think of.

My mother stood to one side, watching us both and biting her lower lip nervously. She had been forced to miss work to be here, which was never good. From what I was able to learn about how things worked here, Miners were paid based on how many Dust Crystals they dug up. If you didn't work or just didn't find anything, you didn't get paid and if you didn't get paid you didn't eat.

The fact that they barely paid you enough to eat in the first place didn't help either. My mother had to work even harder to feed both of us because I was too young to work. Sorters got paid even less than Miners, but their pay was worked out differently.

This appointment wasn't free either, between not working and the cost for the check-up it would cost three days' worth of pay.

"I think that should do it, my examination is done, Miss Reaper," Dr Whitey said, turning to my mother, and writing one last thing on his clipboard before looking up at her. "The good news is that as far as I can tell, everything is fine. Little Grimm is physically in perfect health, with strong muscles and bones. Though his bones seemed to be very flexible, but I am assuming that is natural considering his heritage. No Venom sacks, thankfully. He is a Constrictor like yourself, at least as far as I can tell anyway. Nothing odd showed up in the blood tests and the x-rays are normal for what he is too. Surprisingly his Eyesight is also perfectly fine, I was worried when you said he stares so much but there doesn't seem to be any bad side effects," he explained, looking back at his notes every few seconds.

For her part, my mother mostly just nodded along, as if expecting everything he had said but still relieved.

"And mentally?" Jade asked when he stopped.

Dr Whitey just gave a shrug. "I'm not a head doctor, so I can't really comment much. The scans showed a surprisingly high level of activity in the brain for someone so young though…he hasn't had any seizures? Spasms or anything of the sort?" he asked.

"No, nothing. I don't think I have ever heard him even cry since the day he was born," she said, sending a slightly worried look over the Doctor's shoulder at me.

"Hmm, not epilepsy then. I'm afraid there isn't much I can do at this point. Maybe when he is older we can do more tests, monitor for any changes. But for now, I can't find anything wrong with him." Dr Whitey said, before leaving the room without another word.

Letting out a tired sigh Jade stepped forward and picked me up, holding me to her chest while my tail moved to wrap around her waist. It wasn't long enough to reach all the way around, but it was enough to take some of the weight off from her arms and make it easier to hold me. After hugging me for a moment, she leaned back and looked me in the eyes.

"What am I going to do with you my little Reaper. What is going through your head right now?" she asked, though it seemed to be more to herself than to me.

0o0

**3 Year's Old**

0o0

My mother died a week after my 3rd birthday.

Five months before she died, Jade developed a little cough, nothing too bad, but it was noticeable. Not enough to stop working. But it got worse, that little cough turned into loud, hacking coughs with specks of blood by the second month.

That was when she went to see Dr Whitey. He gave her some pills, the cost of them making life even harder as she was forced to work even harder to make up the difference. By the fourth month she was bedridden and unable to afford the medication. That last month was not painless, for anyone. Some of the other Miners chipped in a little of their pay so we could eat but no one had enough to spare for her meds.

The best part? It was treatable. A simple infection, they even caught it while it was still possible for full recovery. But they didn't have access to the Treatment she needed. The medication Dr Whitey had been giving her was only able to slow it down. He tried to order what she needed but the Schnee Company wouldn't send it unless they were 'reimbursed' for the cost of treatment.

I was 'allowed' to stay in our old room…my room now. But even though I was barely three I was put to work, to pay for both my room and food. They put me to work as a Sorter with the other kids and elderly Faunus, though I was paired with someone because they didn't trust me enough to know what I was doing.

The way Sorting worked was that Dust Crystals were sent down several conveyor belts, and Sorters picked Crystals off and placed them in the correct crate. You get paid for every 1000 Crystals you sort, so the faster you worked, the more you get paid.

My 'partner' was a Bear Faunus named Silver Run. She was 6 years old, with small bear ears on top of her head, brown hair, and green eyes. In return for a very slight increase while 'training' me, she was supposed to keep an eye on me and make sure I didn't sort the Dust Crystals wrong. I didn't like her, she was more of a snake than me and I was literally part snake.

It took her less than an hour to realise that despite my age I knew what I was doing and could sort the Crystals without help and she took advantage of it by keeping the fact quiet, so she could keep getting the Trainer fee. Silver also claimed half my work as her own. I didn't say anything, I didn't see the point. But I did stare at her constantly while we were working. She stopped meeting my eye very quickly when I did that, but still didn't stop.

0o0

**1 Day Before 4th Birthday**

0o0

I was quietly working, sorting through a pile of Dust Crystals twice my size. My tail was now 2 feet long and I used it to help sort the larger Crystals while using my hands for the smaller ones. Sliver was standing next to me, concentrating on her work, and avoiding looking at me as usual.

1 more day. Tomorrow everything was going to change. Tomorrow the Game would start.

I didn't know what most of the Crystals did, other than the obvious. The red one hot to the touch were fire, the white that faded into blue in the centre and cold to the touch were ice. The heavy brown Crystals were earth, blue damp to the touch were water and and the grey ones that didn't have much weight was wind. Then there were black, white, yellow, pink, and every other colour you can think of. The only ones we didn't sort were the sickly green/yellow glowing Crystals which were separated from the rest before even being brought up.

The conveyor we were working on was situated away from the others, Sliver having picked one out of the way so no one would notice how much I was doing. The Mess hall was on the other side of the courtyard while the fence that bordered the Mine Site was only a few feet away on my right. The sun was high in the sky but there was little heat, a thick layer of snow covering the ground.

The siren came without warning. Cutting through the silence like a knife and making everyone flinch. A moment later the gunfire started. There was a second where no one moved, then everyone as one jumped up and started running for the Mess Hall. Silver didn't even spare me a glance, running ahead and leaving me to trail behind her, the gap widening quickly due to my short legs.

Then I saw her, Grandma Lilly, trying to wheel herself to the Mess Hall with little success. It was also at that moment I saw the Beowolf. It had broken through the defensive line and was charging right at her, red eyes glowing and teeth bared.

In my past life I don't think I was an overly brave person, but I also wasn't a coward. I never really got into a situation like this. I remember, vaguely, in a book a quote, 'You never know how you will react until the moment'. My reaction was not something I would have expected of myself, as I changed direction from the Safety of the Mess Hall. I was coming up from behind the Beowolf, it's full attention on Lilly as she closed her eyes, seemingly resigned to her fate.

I don't know how I managed it, but I was able to jump on the Grimm's back. I hit with enough force to knock it off balance, sending it face first into the dirt only a few feet from Lilly, whose eyes shot open in shock and locked on me. Before the Beowolf had time to recover I moved my arms up under it before locking my fingers behind its head. My legs locked over its stomach and my tail moved up and around its neck.

The Beowolf recovered a moment later, getting to its feet and trying to shake me off with little success. I could hear my bones creaking as I fought to keep my grip. Without thinking my grip started getting tighter the more it struggled. In a desperate attempt to get me off it fell on its back, slamming me into the ground.

"AAAAHHHH!" My grip only got stronger, a scream of effort starting to escape my lips. To stop screaming my head shot forward and I sank my teeth into its right shoulder. My mouth was filled with the taste of oil and rotten meat as its black blood filled my mouth, the bristly hair stabbing my gums and tongue like needles. But I didn't stop, my teeth digging deeper.

I felt something inside me 'Snap' into place, something that had been there since my rebirth but hidden too deep to notice. With it came a surge of strength, like the world's strongest Adrenalin rush.

The Beowolf let loose a roar, but I could feel its struggles getting weaker, it couldn't get back up or roll over. I heard several creaks as my grip continued to tighten and felt as several of its bones gave out under the strain. It took several minutes for its struggles to stop completely, though it was another minute before it stopped spasming and fell still, black smoke slowly rising off its body as it started to disintegrate.

I didn't let go until I saw the smoke. My arms, legs and tail felt too heavy to move. My jaw was stiff, and the taste of the Grimm was still in my mouth and almost made me sick.

Rolling off the dead Beowolf and into the ground, my breath coming in pants as I looked up at the sky. I was light headed, my vision getting blurry around the edges and I knew I had seconds before I passed out. The last thing I saw before the darkness covered my vision was Grandma Lilly leaning over me from her wheelchair with a worried expression on her face.

0o0

**4th Birthday**

0o0

**(!)**

**You have slept in a bed. AP and HP Have Been Fully Restored!**

**(!)**

**Congratulations!**

**You have made it to your 4th Birthday. The Game will now begin!**

**Please click** [Yes] **to begin The Tutorial.**

**(!)**

I blinked…my eyes staring blankly at the blue screen floating in front of my face for a full minute before a smile spread across my lips. A quick look around showed me that I was in my bed. I guess they brought me here after I passed out, I didn't make enough as a Sorter to be sent to Dr Whitey.

It was probably for the best though, as the fact about being healed by sleeping might cause some issues.

Reaching out and pressing [Yes], I leaned back into the bed.

**(!)**

**Tutorial**

**Please read all information provided as it appears carefully.**

**(!)**

**Level**: 1 (710-1000) (Note) +3 points to stats on Levelling up. +5 Stat Points on Levelling up.

**Title**: Little Monster

**Name**: Grimm Reaper

**Health**: (200/200) Regain 1hp Per Hour (**Note**) Health is fixed and cannot be increased.

**Aura**: (2300/2300) Aura is increased by Levelling and adding points to the Aura Stat. Aura increases by 300 each Level and 100 for each Point in the Aura Stat. (**Warning**) If Aura hits 0 and is (**Broken**), Aura Regan is stopped for 12 hours or after sleep.

**Aura Regain**: 20% Per Hour

**Age**: 4

**Race**: Faunus- Snake

**Money**: 1050L

**Semblance**: (**Locked**) (Unlock at Level 10)

**Climate**: Cold (**Note**) 'Climate' refers to the conditions of the area you are currently in. This is important as the Climate may affect you and your abilities. Climate conditions are: Cold, Rain, Windy, Normal, Warm, and Hot. (**Warning**) There is a chance of (**Severe Weather**): Blizzard, Storm, Hurricane, Heatwave, Etc.

**Stats** (**Note**) Stats can be increased by performing actions related to that Stat or by spending Stat Points. (**Warning**) Severe imbalance in stats may have unforeseen side effects to the Player's abilities. (**Warning**) Stat Points added will only come into effect after you Sleep.

**Strength**: 16 (**-50%**) = 8 (Affects damage dealt with Melee weapons/physical strength)

**Dexterity**: 16 (**-50%**) = 8 (Acrobatic ability, Flexibility, Aim, and Reflexes)

**Aura**: 20 (Affects Aura Level and Regeneration - you can choose which you want to increase when points are added/gained. 1 point = 100 Aura)

**Charisma**: 4 (Affects Negotiations when making deals, buying/selling, and if people listen to what you say)

**Stat Points**: 30

**Luck Meter**: 0 (Affects your luck in games of chance and/or battles) (**Warning**) Unlike other Stats, the Luck Meter is calculated differently. 0 luck is average with 10 being the highest and -10 being the lowest. Luck is subject to change constantly from situations/effects and cannot be increased with Stat Points. (**Warning**) If Luck Meter falls below 0, it will affect combat situations, e.g. tripping and malfunction of equipment.

**Perks** (**Note**) All abilities found in the 'Perk' section are 'Passive', meaning they are always active and cannot be turned off.

**Gamer's Mind**: (Passive) Allows the Player to perceive their reality in the form of a Video Game. This gives the Player accesses to (**Menu**), (**Stat Screen**), Etc. Also helps you keep calm under stressful situations and gives immunity to 'most' psychological/mental based attacks. (**Warning**) May be affected by Semblances.

**Gamer's Body**: (Passive) The Player's Body is changed to simulate that of a Video Game Avatar. The Player is unable to die unless their HP is reduced to 0, regardless of Wounds. All physical injuries heal, up to and including loss of limbs. Both Health and Aura are 100% healed by sleeping in a bed. (**Warning**) Player is still susceptible to (**Fatal Critical**), e.g. fatal head wounds or instant kills. (**Warning**) Certain Status Effects may affect Gamer's Body's ability to Heal.

**Gamer's Eyes**: (Passive/Active) Allows the player to see the 'Level', Health, Aura, and 'Title' of others. Active allows you to also see their Stats and Perks. (**Warning**) Gamer's Eyes can only process the information of people up to 20 levels above the player.

**Inventory**: (Passive/Active) Hammer Space! Your own personal little pocket dimension. 20 slots available. Items Stack. (**Note**) Items can only stack with the same Item. E.g. Beowolf bones can not stack with Ursa Bones. Dust Grades can only stack with the same Grade.

**Passive Racial Skills**

**Snake Body**: (Passive) You are a Snake Faunus. (**Buff**) +5 stat points to Strength and Dexterity every 10 levels.

**Snake Blood**: (Passive) You are a Snake Faunus. You are immune to all Poison.

**Flexible**: (Passive) You look like a snake on the outside and inside. Your bones are both strong and flexible, you are a natural Contortionist.

**Cold Blooded**: (Passive) You are part Reptile. (**Buff**) Immune to Negative Effects from 'Hot Climates (**Debuff**) -50% to Strength and Dexterity when in a 'Cold Climate'.

**Skills**

**Semblance**: (**Locked**) The personal special ability of the Player's Soul. While some may be similar, no two Semblance's are the same. (**Note**: Semblance currently Locked. Unlock at Level 10).

**Bite**: Level 2- (Active) You have teeth and know how to use them. Does STR + 10% Damage.

**Attack**: Level 1- (Active) You have hands, feet and…a tail, and know how to use them. Does STR +5% Damage.

**Active Racial Skills**

**Snake Eyes**: Level 1- (Active) Your eyes unnerve people. Stare at the target in the eye for the Timer and cause the Status Effect Daze. If you are 15 or more Levels above target this move will cause the Status Effect (**Paralyze**) for 00:10 seconds. Timer: 00:03.

**Track**: Level 1- (Active) The nose knows, and so does the tongue. Using your tongue, you can cross the boundary between smell and taste, allowing you to track smells like a snake. You can use this to track: Animals, Humans/Faunus, and Grimm. (**Warning**) Level too low to differentiate between individuals. Can also be used to find Dust Crystal. (**Warning**) Level too Low to Differentiate between types of Dust or Quality.

**Strangle**: Level 3 (Active) Fall back on your Animal heritage and use your tail for what it was meant for. Grab someone/something with your tail and Squeeze! Wrap your tail around the Targets neck or chest and slowly Strangle them. (**Warning**) Your strength needs to be at Least 3 STR higher than the opponent for Strangle to work. (**Note**) If Strangle is held long enough for Timer, this move will cause the Status Effect (**Unconscious**). Does STR + 10% Damage every 2 seconds. Timer: 01:00. (Note) Can be used with any body part that is wrapped around the opponent, but for Half the damage done with tail.

**Crush**: Level 2- (Active) (Conditional) Fall back on your Animal heritage and use your tail for what it was meant for. Grab someone/something with your tail and Squeeze! (**Warning**) This skill can only be used in Conjunction with Strangle. Tighten your grip and Break bones. (**Warning**) Your strength needs to be at Least 10 STR higher than your targets for Crush to work. (**Note**) If Successful, this move will cause the Status Effect (**Broken Bone**). Does STR + 30% Damage. (**Note**) Can be used with any body part that is wrapped around the opponent.

**Titles**: (**Note**) Titles can be earned from completing missions or for Special Actions.

**Little Monster**: You killed a Grimm with your bare hands as a little kid. +10 to Strength, Dexterity and Aura for earning this Title.

**(!)**

**Please Note that the Game System had been tailored to the world you have been born in.**

**(!)**

**Quest Alert!**

**Survive!**

**Objective**: Don't die before your 4th Birthday.

**Bonus Objective**: Kill a Grimm before the Game System Activates.

**Rewards**: Activation of the Gamer Ability, 400exp, and 25sp.

**Bonus Rewards**: 10sp, 300exp and Title (Little Monster). Unlocked Aura.

**Complete!**

**Bonus Objective**: Complete!

**(!)**

**Achievement Alert!**

**Against all Odds!**

You survived against an opponent that should have killed you!

**Rewards**: 1000L and 5sp

**(!)**

OK, so good news I have 30sp right off the bat to spend to help get my Stats up, a few decent skills and Perks and a good head start to Level 2 and money. Bad news, the Game System is nerfed, at least compared to the original Manga. My health being fixed is worrying, but I think I understand why.

But what the Hell is with that 'Cold Blooded Perk! -50% STR and DEX just because it's cold?

From looking over the information I have available and what I know of this world, it looks like the Game really is tailored to the RWBY universe. Which would mean with my Aura unlocked, it would basically be another Health Bar. Aura was the main source of power in RWBY, along with Dust and Semblance.

It also looked like Levelling wasn't going to be easy. 1000exp for the first Level? Normally something like this would be set at 100, and it was likely only going to get higher with each Level. I currently have 710exp, 400 for completing the Quest and 300 for the Bonus Objective. Which means the 10exp is probably from killing the Beowolf. Unless all Quests gave that much experience every time, which I doubt, it was going to be slow going.

Also, if killing a Beowolf only gave me 10exp grinding was going to be tedious.

God, less than five minutes and already things were going to shit.

Than there is that Cold Blooded Perk. In my current position, it was going to be a big problem. I live in a Mining site in the middle of a snow-covered mountain. Luckily with the 'Little Monster' title it was balanced out and I have 30 Stat Points; common sense is to save them for when it will be harder to raise my Stats though action. But the problem is that I am 4 years old. I can't raise my Level and get exp unless I have something to build on.

Hating myself for what I was about to do, I mentally called up the Stat screen and started adding points.

**Stats**

**Strength**: 16 (21) (-50%) (+5)= 8 (10.5)

**Dexterity**: 16 (21) (-50%)(+5) = 8 (10.5)

**Aura**: 20 (+15) (35)

**Charisma**: 4 (+5) (9)

**Stat Points**: (30) 0

According to the Tutorial nothing would change until I sleep. So, with nothing else to do until my Stats updated, being fully healed from my 'fight' the day before and a need to do something, I hopped out of bed and made my way outside.

After all, I still needed to work.

0o0

**Level**: 1 (710-1000)

**Title**: Little Monster

**Name**: Grimm Reaper

**Health**: (200/200) Regain 1hp Per Hour

**Aura**: (3800/3800) Regain 20% Per Hour

**Age**: 4

**Race**: Faunus- Snake

**Money**: 1050L

**Semblance**: (Locked) (Unlock at Level 10)

**Climate**: Cold

Stats

**Strength**: 21 (-50%) = 10.5

**Dexterity**: 21 (-50%) = 10.5

**Aura**: 35

**Charisma**: 9

**Stat Points**: 0

**Luck Meter**: 0

0o0

**So that is the first chapter. Like I said a few things have changed already and they will lead to bigger changes.**

**Anyway, I hope you like it, please let me know what you think. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**First off, I want to say thank you for all the support I have gotten from the first chapter, it means a lot. Please don't expect updates to be able to update this quickly all the time.**

**For those who left a review simple to say how 'shit' this is, I am not forcing anyone to read. I have no problem with Constructive Criticism, in fact I find it helpful. But leaving a review just to say how much you hate it is pointless.**

**Speaking of Constructive Criticism, I made a few changes to the last chapter following some comments and questions regarding it.**

**The 'Cold Blooded' Perk has been altered; I suggest you take a moment to go check it.**

**Also a few people expressed their worry about a possible 'bug' the Gamer System in regard to the Aura Generation Stat. After thinking it over, I agree. So, I have gotten rid of that too. I had a plan for it but after thinking it over decided it wasn't worth it.**

**I have also changed the way damage is calculated for Skills to STR + %.**

**The only other thing I am going to say before the start of this chapter is, I am sorry about all the Spelling and Grammar Mistakes. I am Dyslexic and rely heavily on Spell Checker, which while useful it does miss things and when it gives me several options for the same word, I can't always tell which is the right one and click the wrong one.**

**However, it is for this reason that I now have a Beta reader! So, a big thank you to **eeveelutionlover2000 **for agreeing to help me :)**

**One last thing. Not a lot of action in this chapter, just wanted to make that clear.**

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter and please let me know what you think :)**

0o0

**Disclaimer**: I don't own RWBY :(

0o0

**Beta'd By**: eeveelutionlover2000

0o0

Chapter 2- Mining Levels

0o0

**(!)**

**Quest Alert!**

**Work! Work! Work!**

**Objective**: Sort 1000 Dust Crystals before the timer runs out.

**Bonus Objective**: Sort 2000 Dust Crystals before the timer runs out.

**Rewards**: 1sp, 10exp, 10L

**Bonus Rewards**: 1sp, 20exp, 15L

**Timer**: 60:00 (1 hour)

**Time will start when you begin work!**

[Yes] [No]

**(!)**

The moment I stepped outside the Quest Alert appeared and I accepted it without a second thought. I needed all the exp, sp and Lien I can get, and it was an easy Quest. So, with a thought the Alert disappeared, to reveal everyone staring at me.

Every Faunus, and Human were just standing there staring at me with wide eyes. At first, I thought they had seen the Alert Window, and I started to panic. But then, slowly, they started to get back to work. I still caught a few people glancing at me, but no one said anything.

I was also hit with a new experience, one that was hard to explain. Since being reborn in this body I had developed a habit of flicking my tongue out, not unlike a snake. Until now that was all it was, a habit. So, when I did it a moment ago I was shocked to be hit with the smell of every person around me at once, hitting me like a hammer to the head.

**(!)**

**The Skill 'Track' has Level up X4!**

**(!)**

**Track**: Level 5- (Active) The nose knows, and so does the tongue. Using your tongue, you can cross the boundary between smell and taste, allowing you to track smells like a snake. You can use this to track: Animals, Humans/Faunus, Grimm, and Dust. You are now able to differentiate between individuals you are familiar with. (Note) Dust not Included.

**(!)**

Blinking in surprise at the notification, I closed the Window while trying not to show any reaction. Without thinking I almost flicked my tongue again, but hesitated, suddenly nervous about being overloaded by the number of smells again before closing my eyes and doing it.

It wasn't as bad, but it still made me a bit dizzy. The Levelling made a noticeable difference.

I didn't move for a full minute, just standing in place and flicking my tongue, slowly getting used to the influx of smells before I started to slowly make my way over to the conveyor Silver was working at, grabbing a stool as I went so I could reach it. I hate being short, it is a pain in the arse.

Being this close I was able to pick up Silver's scent from the rest and took a moment to make sure I would remember it. I didn't miss the way she froze when I approached, her hands stopping over the conveyor for a moment before she quickly started again. I also noticed the words floating above her head.

Silver Run

**Level**: 2

**Title**: Reluctant Thief

**Health**: (200/200)

**Aura**: (Locked)

A quick glance around showed similar information floating over everyone else's heads before I focused back on Silver, and when I did, I felt something in my head 'click', before more information appeared in a window in front of me.

**Level**: 2

**Title**: Reluctant Thief

**Name**: Silver Run

**Health**: (200/200)

**Aura**: (Locked)

**Age**: 10

**Race**: Faunus- Bear

Stats

**STR**: 10

**DEX**: 4

**CHA**: 5

So, I am guessing these are the average stats for a 6-year-old, though even before I used my Stat Points mine were better. Assuming she is the average for a kid I might have to be careful when those Stat Points I added take effect.

Getting rid of the Window, I climbed up onto the stool and without a word started working. A countdown appearing in the right corner of my vision.

Between my hands and my tail, I can work fast. Having an extra limb helps a lot for this sort of thing and I soon got into it, only paying the Crystals half my attention as I used the other half to look around and try and get an idea of other people's stats.

I watched as a man with a monkey tail walked by pushing a cart back into the Mine and focused on him, reading the information that was brought up.

**Level**: 16

**Title**: Miner

**Name**: Milo Granit

**Aura**: (6100/6100)

**Age**: 22

**Race**: Faunus- Monkey

Stats

**STR**: 28

**DEX**: 36

**CHA**: 17

Next was a woman coming up from the Mine with a pickaxe, covered in dirt with cat ears on her head.

**Level**: 18

**Title**: Miner

**Name**: Tulip Grace

**Aura**: (6900/6900)

**Age**: 27

**Race**: Faunus- Cat

Stats

**STR**: 26

**DEX**: 38

**CHA**: 23

I continued to observe the people around me, quickly noticing the difference between those with and those without Aura. All those with Aura unlocked were at least Level 10, and those that didn't have Aura were lower leveled and would Lock at Level 5. Those with Aura had much better Stats then those without too. Then there was the Racial factor. Different Faunus seemed to have naturally higher stats in areas their animal half would be higher in.

Cats, Monkeys, and Rabbits had naturally higher DEX, while Bears and Boars had naturally higher STR. It reminded me of my own Snake Body Perk. Constrictor's were naturally strong, so they could crush prey, and snakes in general were fast and flexible. The few Humans I saw seemed to be average compared to the Faunus, with little diversity in their stats. The only Stat that wasn't consistent was CHA. Women seemed to be naturally higher than men, but other than that it bounced around all over the place.

There was also the notable fact that everyone going in or out of the mine, that is, all the Miners, has their Aura Unlocked.

The Skill Track leveled up another 5 times before slowing down, giving me the ability to differentiate between the different Dust I was handling through 'smell' that I couldn't before.

Without realising it an hour soon passed by and my thoughts were interrupted by the Window that popped up in front of me.

**(!)**

**Quest Alert!**

**Work! Work! Work!**

**Objective**: Sort 1000 Dust Crystals before the timer runs out.

**Bonus Objective**: Sort 2000 Dust Crystals before the timer runs out.

**Rewards**: 1sp, 10exp, 10L

**Bonus Rewards**: 1sp, 20exp, 15L

**Timer**: 00:00

**You Sorted…2004 Crystals before the time ran out!**

**Complete!**

**Bonus Objective Complete!**

**(!)**

**+1 DEX for working quickly**

**(!)**

Well, that was easier than I expected, and the increase to DEX is nice.

With the boost in finances I got from my first Quest I didn't need to worry for a while, but at the same time if anyone noticed I had money but wasn't working it would send up a red flag. So, I got back to work while discreetly glancing around and noting Levels and Stats.

0o0

By the end of the day I got another 2 DEX, though it was already taking longer between Notifications. That was the price I pay for using Stat Points.

No one approached me while I worked, though as I was observing them I caught many of them doing the same to me. I guess choking out a Beowolf as a 4 year old is a bit odd, and possibly worrying. But what was I supposed to do? Let Grandma Lilly be torn apart because no one thought to push her to safety?

Speaking of Grandma Lilly, I haven't seen her all day.

Frowning, I turned to Silver as we walked towards the Mess Hall. "Where is Grandma Lilly?" I asked. One of the reasons I didn't talk much was the fact I hated my voice. It was high and childish, and it bugged me. Hopefully it would get better when my voice broke.

Flinching at the sound of my voice, Sliver gave a small shrug. "Med bay, the stress got to her yesterday and she passed out. Lucky for her, she's been here so long and saved up enough to miss a day or two." She said, before quickly increasing her pace and walking away.

**(!)**

**Quest Alert!**

**Visit Grandma Lilly**

**Objective**: Visit Grandma Lilly and make sure she is ok.

**Rewards**: 300exp

[Yes] [No]

**(!)**

I was a little surprised at the amount of Exp, but without hesitating I selected [Yes] and changed direction, making my way to the Med Bay. It wasn't hard to find Grandma Lilly, there were only five beds and they were all in the same room. She had been laid down in the bed furthest from the door next to a window.

I walked over slowly, suddenly feeling nervous. While I got on with most of the people here, Silver being the exception for obvious reasons, Grandma Lilly was special. It didn't bother me that the others looked nervous or scared around me, but if Lilly looked at me like that it would hurt more than I cared to admit.

She was awake when I moved to stand next to the bed, where I was frowning slightly at the fact that my head was level with the bed and I couldn't see properly.

"Still have a chip on your shoulder about being short?" Lilly asked without turning to look at me, though I could see her quirk her lips.

I grabbed the chair next to her bed and moved it closer, before climbing up. It was easier than you would think when you had a long tail to help pull you up.

"What do you think?" I asked when I was finally up and could see her.

**Level**: 58

**Title**: The Raging Boar

**Name**: Lilly Crow

**Health**: (10/200)

**Aura**: (10/50,000)

**Age**: 68

**Race**: Faunus- Boar

**Condition**: Elderly

Stats

**STR**: ? (4)

**DEX**: ? (1)

**CHA**: ? (10)

Holy shit! Grandma Lilly is a badarse…or at least she was. Her Stats are all slashed to the point I can actually see them even though she is so far above my level. So were her Health and Aura meters. There is no way she wasn't a Huntress, not with a Level that high! The 'Elderly' Condition was probably the only reason I could even see that much.

"You're four, Grimm, you're supposed to be a shortarse," Lilly said with a chuckle, turning to face me and reach a hand to rest on my head. She slowly ran her hand through my black hair for a moment, only for it to suddenly moved and smack me in the back of the head.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" I asked, leaning away, rubbing where she hit me.

"Language! Stupid boy. What were you thinking? Jumping on a Beowolf's back like that? Could have gotten yourself killed! Should have, by all rights!" She scolded me, trying to reach over, and hit me again but was unable to reach after I leaned back.

"It worked didn't it? I wasn't going to let it kill you," I said, frowning.

Matching my frown with her own, Lilly gave up on trying to hit me again and leaned back into the bed. "Doesn't mean it wasn't stupid! I'm an old woman working in a Schnee Dust Mine, it's a miracle I'm not dead already. You've got your whole life ahead of you and you almost wasted it," she said, still frowning.

"I strangle a Beowolf to death, save your life, and all you do is hit me? Isn't that child abuse or something?" I complain.

"Ha! Don't even bother. If you can strangle a Beowolf you're not a child. Even if Beowolf are cannon fodder. Just imagine what would happen if you had your Aura unlocked…" Lilly started to say, before trailing off at the last part with a slight frown. "It is Locked right?" she asked, eyes narrowing slightly as they moved over my form.

"Not anymore, it was unlocked while I was Choking out the mutt," I admitted with a shrug.

I saw something in her eye dim at my admission, and a sigh slip out of her throat. "For the best I suppose…though I admit I always hated children being turned into weapons…" she trailed off again for a moment before turning away to stare at the roof. "I'm not as young as I use to be Grimm, listen to me rambling on. I'm just too old," Lilly said, as much to herself as me at this point.

Not liking the way she said that, I reached over and grabbed her hand with mine, rubbing it with my thumb. "You're not old." I said.

"Ha! Don't try and sweet talk me Grimm, I know what I am…" Lilly said, suddenly seeming very tired but smiling for a moment at my words before it slipped away. Her grip on my hand suddenly got tighter, but not enough to be painful. "Grimm…did you know I warned the Schnee company to not have all the Active Miners have Unlocked Auras, tried to at least. But Miners with their Aura unlocked are more useful, stronger, tire slower, able to work longer hours…" She said in a serious tone, all playfulness gone. "Do you know why?" she asked, eyes locked on me.

Frowning at the sudden change in subject. "No clue," I said with a shrug.

Chuckling at my dismissive attitude Lilly reached out and grabbed my hand in hers. "Aura is a Beacon to the Creatures of Grimm; it is a shining light in the dark. It attracts them. The more Aura in one place the brighter it shines. The attacks are getting more frequent, more of them slip through every time," she explained to me, her hand tightening on my own.

I was mesmerised by the horror of her words, thinking about all the Miners I had seen throughout the day. None of them were overly strong but put enough small lights together and it can shine just as brightly as one large one.

While I was distracted Lilly watched me, saw my reaction before pulling me back to her with a single word. "Leave…" Lilly said, her eyes hard and lips thin.

"W-what?" I asked, blinking in confusion. I was not expecting this.

Groaning slightly as she forced herself to sit up, never letting go of my hand, Lilly twisted enough to face me. "Leave this place Grimm, leave and never come back. Your young, strong, and smart beyond your years. You don't belong here. Your mother's gone, you have no family here, nothing to keep you here. Don't let that mark become a Slave Brand like it has for so many others," she said, nodding to the tattoo on my arm at the end.

I got it the day I started working, the same Snowflake overlapping a pickaxe that everyone else in this place had. A mark that said I belonged to the Schnee Dust Company. Though unlike most, because of my scales it couldn't be put on my shoulder, instead being placed on the inside of my right forearm. A frown crossed my lips. I never intended to stay here longer than necessary, but I was nowhere near ready to set out on my own.

"Grandma Lilly…where would I even go? I'm not strong enough to leave, not yet." I tried to reason, only to wince when her grip once again tightened on my hand.

"Listen to me Grimm, you need to leave soon, while you can. The attacks are getting closer and closer and more Grimm are getting passed over by the patrols. A Hoard is building and when it is big enough it will sweep over this place like a flood and wash everything away. This Mine's days are numbered and when it falls the Schnee Dust Company will abandon everyone here and brush it off as a minor loss. I've seen it happen before, you need to leave," she explained, her face like stone.

I couldn't keep the shock off my face, though it was only there for a moment. It was the first time I felt Gamer's Mind activate, and it was an odd experience. My face turned to stone to match Lilly's, who seemed unsurprised by the oddly adult look on my 4-year-old face.

"How long?" I finally asked, knowing not to question her.

"Weeks…Months, a Year? No way to say for sure. But you need to leave before it hits, or they will follow you," she said.

**(!)**

**Path Quest Alert!**

**They are Coming!**

A hoard of Grimm are building right outside your door. Choose which path you will follow.

...

**Tail Between Your Legs**

**Objective**: Leave before the Grimm overrun the Mine.

Reach Level 10 [ ]

Reach at least 100 in both STR and DEX [ ]

Raise Aura to 20,000 [ ]

Leave at Least 30 Days Before the Grimm Attack [ ]

**Rewards**: 500exp for every task complete if you follow this path, 10sp

**95% chance of surviving**

**Commit to this Path?**

[Yes] [No]

…

**Stand And Fight!**

**Objective**: Train to fight the Horde.

Reach Level 50 and Activate your Semblance [ ]

Reach at Least 1000 in Both STR and DEX [ ]

Raise Aura to at least 100,000 [ ]

**Reward**: 10,000 exp for every task Completed if you follow this path, 50sp

**5% Chance of Surviving**

**Commit to this Path?**

[Yes] [No]

(**Note**) Once you have chosen your path the second will be closed to you. If you commit to one path but do not follow it all experience rewards will be void.

**Mandatory Quest!**

**Timer**: 5 Years

**You have**: 6d, 23h, 59m and 48s - **to choose your Path**

(**Warning**) If you do not choose before this time a choice will be made by the system at random.

**(!)**

I glared at the Window that popped up before closing it and turning my attention back to Lilly. I'd look into it later, right now I had more important things to worry about.

"But what about everyone else? Am I supposed to just leave them? I need to warn them before-" I started to say, only to be interrupted.

"No! If you tell anyone it will cause a panic and only bring the Grimm now. The Schnee will gather up all the Dust they can and leave everyone to die. You can't tell anyone. Go to the Storage Room, grab as much food as you can, get something to defend yourself and run." Lilly practically ordered me this time, her voice harsh and eyes stone.

"I can't leave, I'm not strong enough. And I can't leave you here." I said, trying to get her to understand. My memory of my past life was covered in fog, my mother in this life gone. I had no one I was close to but her, and the thought of being on my own in this world terrified me. I didn't even know where I was in the world, or the laws. For all I know there could be places I would be arrested just for being a Faunus. It wouldn't surprise me, not with what I could remember from the Anime.

"Listen to me Grimm. You. Are. Strong. Stronger than you think. You're a survivor, a natural predator. As for me…I'm not going to be here, so you don't need to worry about me. I'm sorry." The last part was little more than a whisper, letting go of my hand.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee." Lilly chanted quietly, the glow getting brighter for a brief moment before it faded. "Remember those words Grimm, they are important. Remember…and learn…from… them…"

**(!)**

**Quest Alert!**

**Visit Grandma Lilly**

**Objective**: Visit Grandma Lilly and make sure she is ok.

**Rewards**: 300 exp

**Complete!**

**(!)**

**Level Up!**

+5sp

**(!)**

**Achievement Alert!**

**Grow!**

**You gained your first Level!**

**Rewards**: 500exp, +5sp

**(!)**

I didn't pay much attention to the Notifications.

My eyes were glued on Grandma Lilly, and the fading words floating above her head.

**Name**: Lilly Crow

**Health**: (0/200)

**Aura**: (0/50,000)

As I watched the words faded completely, along with the light in her eyes as a final rattling breath escaped her lips before falling still.

I was still there an hour later when Dr Whitey came in to check on Lilly, silent tears falling down my face and her hand still gripped in my own.

0o0

They buried Lilly the next day, in an area just outside the Mine site in the forest. Other than the people digging and burying the hole I was the only one there to see her off. Just like when they buried my mother. No one had time to go to a funeral, they needed to keep working or they didn't eat.

There was no headstone or no marker to show she was there other than the disturbed earth. The two men burying her didn't even stick around after they finished. But I stayed, even as the snow started to fall, I stayed.

I can't remember my past life, not clearly. I don't know if there was anyone I cared about that died, I can't even remember my family's names and faces. The people here were all I had, and now I didn't even have that.

The sky was starting to go dark when I finally left, the snow falling faster and making it hard for my small legs to move through it. By the time I got back the Day workers were switching out with the Night, most heading to the Mess Hall while others went straight to bed.

Instead of following the crowd to the Mess hall I walked over to the entrance to the Mine.

Unlike the Mines I remember from my old world the entrance wasn't an open wound leading down into the earth held open with wooden beams. Instead of a shoddy wooden frame, the Entrance to the Mine was supported by thick metal supports with a gate that can be pulled down in the even of a Grimm Attack…from either direction. It was not unheard of for a Subterranean Grimm to find their way into the Mines after all.

Standing in front of the Mine was a large human with scraggly black and grey hair that fell to his shoulder and a beard that reached the top of his chest. Even though he wore a thick fur coat it was clear to see he was covered in muscle, his arms almost as wide as my shoulders. There was also a large rifle strapped to his back with Axe blades at the end.

Arms folded over his chest as he watched the shift change and people both going in and out of the Mine in a steady stream, the man didn't even notice me until I pulled on his trouser leg.

**Level**: 30

**Title**: Mine Foreman

**Name**: Hercule Pink

**Aura**: (38,600/38,600)

**Race**: Human

Stats

**STR**: ?

**DEX**: ?

**CHA**: ?

He looked down with a frown, his grey eyes locking on me and narrowing a little more before turning his attention back to the people going in and out of the Mine. "What you want Gecko?" he asked, his deep voice sending a slight shiver down my spine.

Ignoring the Gecko comment, I backed up a step so it was easier for me to look into his face, I waited for him to turn back to me, but after several minutes passed and nothing happened gave up on waiting. "I want to work in the Mine," I said.

That got the man's attention, his glaring eyes once again focused on me for a moment before narrowing again. For about a minute we stood staring at each other as he seemed to examine me, before he turned away with a grunt. "Whatever, you got your Aura Unlocked already so I don't see why not. Report to the Equipment shed at 5 am tomorrow sharp, only one chance. If you're late you're back on Sorting," he said dismissively.

**(!)**

**Quest Alert!**

**Possible Promotion!**

**Objective**: Meet Hercule at the Equipment Shed at 5 am.

**Rewards**: 500exp, New Job, Mining Equipment, ?, ?

**Fail Penalty**: No Promotion, No Equipment.

**(!)**

I waited a moment to see if he wanted to say anything else, but when he went back to ignoring me, I walked away without another word. Whichever path I picked, I would need to train first. Staying as a Sorter wasn't going to be enough, and the chances that any Hunter Group would let me go with them is low since they were organised by the other workers, not the SDC.

No, Mining is my best shot at Levelling up and increasing my stats. I already made the mistake of using the SP I had too soon and didn't want to make it again. Mining was better pay, and a lot more strenuous.

I also had a secret weapon that will help me, after all how many people can 'Smell' Dust?

0o0

"Well I'll give you this Lizard, you're on time." Hercule grunted as he came up to the Equipment Shed, seeming angry that I bother to show up. The fact that I got here before him went ignored. In his hand was a stack of paper and a pen, both of which he thrust at me the moment I was within reach.

Standing just behind and to the right of him was a Faunus girl in her mid-teens with purple hair and yellow eyes. On her head was a pair of black cats like ears and waving behind her was a matching tail. She was dressed in muddy overall like the other Miners, a rusted helmet in her head with holes cut into it to free her ears, and an old leather bag with a strap slung over her shoulders. She also had a pickaxe in her left hand leaning against her shoulder, though it had seen better days and was both rusted and bent.

**Level**: 14

**Title**: Miner

**Name**: Sapphire Stalker

**Age**: 15

**Aura**: (11,000/11,000)

**Race**: Faunus- Panther

Stats

**STR**: 19

**DEX**: 25

**CHA**: 21

It's kind of weird how if not for the Cold Blooded Debuff I would be stronger the her, stronger than a lot of people I have seen so far actually. At least compared to the level difference. Maybe the Gamer System gave me a little boost compared to everyone else?

She was also glaring at Hercule's back, clear hate in her eyes. Though when she glances at me her face softened, though I can also see a little sadness in them.

Hercule stepped between us and blocked my line of sight before speaking, seeming to not even notice the girl behind that looked like she would be more than happy to stab him in the back. "I assume you can at least write your own name, Gecko. This is a Disclaimer, stating that the Schnee Dust Company is in no way responsible for any mishaps that may occur in the mine. This includes injury and Death. By signing this you give up any right to claim against the SDC." He went on to barely explain.

The fact that he didn't ask if I knew how to read wasn't missed. In fact, the moment I started trying to read the papers he handed to me, Hercule glared even harder and started tapping his feet. Knowing that if I took too long, he might send me back to the Sorters, I skimmed what I could and signed where needed.

The moment I signed the last page he snatched it from my hands and started walking away. "He's your problem now Cat, get him fitted and show him what he needs to do. And remember any fuck ups he makes are coming out of both of your pays!" he shouted over his shoulder without a second glance.

Waiting until he turned a corner, Sapphire walked over to me and gave a deep sigh and muttering under her breath. "Dickhole… letting a kid this young into the mine, this is a new low even for the SDC…" She then turned her attention to me and blushed when she saw me looking at her.

Clearing her throat and putting a large smile on her face she nodded towards the Equipment Shed and started towards it. "Hi, so I'm Sapphire. I'll be in charge of getting you kitted out and trained. Just stick with me and I'll show you all the ropes," she introduced herself.

Entering, we passed a bored looking man behind a desk reading something on his Scroll who waved us by after a glance.

I followed Sapphire into a room full of shelves with different Equipment and watched as she pulled things off and passed them to me. "So, for now you are going to be sticking with me, watching and learning. Good news is I'm on the Exploration Team, my…our main job is finding new deposits for the main Excavation Teams. Means we need to go in deeper and into the unexplored caverns though. We hit natural caves and tunnels all the time. Since the SDC can't use Scanners to map out or find the Dust, too much risk of a signal setting off a Dust Explosion, we are the low-tech Option," she explained, turning, and placing a rusty helmet on my head before shaking her head and taking it off because it was too big.

Sapphire continued to talk while she tried different Helmets. "Part of our job is mapping out the natural caverns and tunnels. It's not the most lucrative…erm, it doesn't make the most money, but every little bit helps. The best money comes from finding deposits. Depending on the kind of Dust, the size of the deposit and the quality, the better the pay." Finally finding a helmet that mostly fit, she turned and pulled a leather bag half my size and handed it to me.

"I'm pretty sure the reason Pink put you with me is because your small, easier to get through the smaller, natural cracks into the bigger caverns…anyway I'll teach you how to do the maps as we go anyway, like I said it doesn't pay a lot put it's a steady stream of payment. More reliable too. They recently uncovered a new system of Natural tunnels and caves in section SE74813, don't worry I'll teach you those too." She continued before handing me some kind of kit rolled up in cloth that looked like an archaeologist kit with little brushes and chisels, which I put in my new bag without looking.

"Oh, err…this is a bit of a…difficult subject, you need to carve your name into the inside of your helmet, so if..." she struggled to explain, before I interrupted her.

"In case I die, and you can't find my body, or it's too damaged to identify me?" I asked, trying not to laugh at her shocked reaction.

To her credit, she recovered quickly. "O…k, not sure why you know that, but ok," she said, then handed me a weird High-tech lantern before turning away and walking over to a wall full of pickaxes and spades. She seemed to consider it for a moment pulling down a pickaxe and handed it to me. Like everything else she had given me, it was clearly meant for someone bigger than me, with the wooden handle being almost as long as I am tall.

I am pretty sure I looked like a kid at Halloween right now, with my too big equipment and the helmet tilting to the right.

The last thing she handed me was a weird metal disk thing. It is about the size of my palm and was red on one side and blue on the other. On each side is a weird cross between a button and a dial. "This is you Beacon. Blue side is for if you get lost. Just press and turn the button on that side and it will send a signal so you can be tracked. Just a warning though, try to avoid using it all the time, do it too often and you won't make any friends and it might go ignored for a while. Red side is for Emergencies. Cave in, Dust Explosion, Grimm, things like that." Sapphire explained.

She then turned to the door and started leading us out. "That's everything you are going to need for now, so let's get going. The sooner we are down the mine, the better chance we have of finding something. Also, just a heads up, don't lose any of your Equipment, the SDC will make you pay for replacements," Sapphire said with another smile.

**(!)**

**Quest Alert!**

**Possible Promotion!**

**Objective**: Meet Hercule at the Equipment Shed at 5am.

**Rewards**: 500exp, New Job, Mining Equipment, Training, Miner Title

**Fail Penalty**: No Promotion, No Equipment.

**Complete!**

**(!)**

**Equipment List**

**(!)**

**Old Pickaxe X1**

**Damage: 10**

**Old Helmet X1**

**Damage Reduction: 10**

**Dust Lantern X1**

**Basic Mining Toolkit X1**

**Old Bag X1**

**Basic Mapping Equipment**

**Basic Map of Mine**

**Luminescent Chalk X7**

**Beacon X1**

**(!)**

**Title Achieved!**

**You have earned the Title 'Miner'**

**+2 STR**

**(!)**

**Quest Alert!**

**High Ho, High Ho, Off to Work You Go!**

You have been given a job in the Mine on the 'Exploration Team' with Sapphire. Time to learn the ropes.

**Objective**:

Work 1 day in the Mine [ ]

Help Map Out an Unexplored Section of the Mine [ ]

**Bonus Objective**: Find a Dust Deposit

**Rewards**: 1000exp, 500L, Cartography Skill Level 1, Drawing Skill Level 1

**Bonus Reward**: ?, ?, ?

**Fail Penalty**: Be sent back to the Sorting Line.

**(!)**

That was a headache inducing flood of information to get all at once, and it made me stumble slightly which didn't go unnoticed by my new 'Trainer'. Though she seemed to think it more because of me having trouble carrying everything, even looked like she was going to offer to help but hesitated, and I having recovered before she could.

The process of getting into the Mine was surprisingly more complex than it looked from the outside. About a hundred feet in is a 'checkpoint' for both those going in and out. Off to the side was a separate checkpoint for the people pushing carts full of Crystals. Though the Miners going out were under more scrutiny. They even had something that looked like a metal detector for those leaving to walk through, though it didn't react to any of the Mining Equipment.

Seeing where I was looking Sapphire frowned. "It's a Dust Detector, the SDC doesn't trust us not to steal anything so everyone needs to be checked before you can leave the Mine," she explained quietly.

We were through the checkpoint within five minutes, the guards being more concerned with people taking things out than in. After that the Mine quickly changed. While the supports are still made from metal, the stone it was holding up became rougher. The floor was smooth, but it seemed more because people were walking over it so often than any form of maintenance. The lights along the walls also ended shortly after the checkpoint, but Sapphire took her Lantern out and turned it on. The light it gave off was weak and red yet was more than enough to allow us to see clearly.

I remember reading something about that in my last life, about how red light is better for night vision. Between that and the Faunus' Natural Night Vision, we had no trouble working our way through.

Every time the main tunnel branched off, Sapphire would point to the metal plating above the new tunnel, stamped with a seemingly random series of letters and numbers to identify the tunnels. She took the time to point them out in the map she gave me as we went. The further we went, the more rough the tunnels became, and we even passed a few larger caverns where people were busy mining different coloured Crystal formations, some taking up entire walls.

It took about twenty minutes of walking before she came to a stop at a junction, after so many twists and turns that I wouldn't be able to find my way back out without help even with the map. The tunnel on the left looked like most of the ones we had already walked through, while the one on the right looked more like a crack in the wall that had been widened slightly so people would be able to squeeze through it.

Putting her lantern down next to the crack, Sapphire unfolded a blank piece of paper map paper. After trying to get it as flat as possible on the uneven ground, she pulled out a pencil and started drawing what I assume was the tunnel we are standing in before noting the Tunnel Serial Number.

"Ok Grimm, this is going to be the map we make today. If you look here at this part, I just drew the tunnel we are in now, and this here is the start of the new tunnel. Our job is to map out this natural cavern and check for any easy Dust Deposits. If we find anything then the SDC will send some people down to start digging out a proper tunnel straight away, but if not, they will leave it a while and come back later. Whatever happens don't wander off okay, I don't want to lose you while down here. It's easy to get turned around," Sapphire explained before putting the map back in her bag and picking up her lantern. "For now, we'll just use my lantern, no need to waste Dust seeing as we aren't splitting up or anything," she added.

Without another word she stepped up to the crack and started squeezing sideways, the opening not quite wide enough for her to walk through normally. I on the other hand, am a 4 four-year-old who has the natural flexibility of a contortionist. I walked through like it was nothing.

The other side of the opening was a large cavern with a high roof. The walls were misshapen and the light from the lantern cast shadows everywhere. There are also a lot of tunnels branching off, all different sizes, some even I would struggle to get through.

I watched as Sapphire moved the crack and took out a piece of chalk that glowed in the red light of the lantern and drew a large letter E next to it.

"First lesson, always Mark your entrance point when you are starting to map a new area. Very easy to forget where you are coming or going. Also mark all the tunnels you enter as you explore so you know where you have already been," she explained before putting the chalk away again and looking around. "Good news, looks like we got us a Nexus Cavern. More work to map but it will be worth more when it's done. Also, more likely to find new Dust Deposits. There aren't many of us on the Exploration Team, so we have the whole network to ourselves," Sapphire continued before walking to the middle of the room.

The next 4 hours was spent mapping out the 'Nexus Cavern' as Sapphire called it, along with a few of the larger offshoots. Though we didn't wander far, and we didn't find any Dust Deposits. At least not together, I could smell which tunnels would lead to Dust Deposits, but Sapphire had a system she wanted to follow…also I didn't mention about being able to smell dust yet. I figured I'd wait a while before mentioning it, not wanting another Silver on my hands. She seemed nice so far but so did Silver before she started cheating me.

While exploring, Sapphire showed me everything I need to know. This included a rundown of what Dust was worth more than others.

The first are called the Common Dust Elements, and therefore worth the least. Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, Smoke, Light, Dark, Pure, and finally Meteor. I admit the last one was a surprise, apparently it is the one used for common bullets or something to add a kick. Also, light and dark are not as cool as you would think. Light is literally a light that glows and dark just…marks things darker, like it sucks the light out of an area or something.

After that are the Uncommon Dust Elements such as Lightning, Ice, Wood, Lava, and a long list that basically covered every other possible element. Then there are the Rare Dust Elements like Gravity, something called Mind for some reason, and one called Absorb. Not really Elements, but that is why they are considered Rare compared to others. The last kind of Dust is labelled Exotic, and there is only one type. Radiation…and it is as dangerous as it sounds. But is also the Dust used to power Cities and War Ships, so even a small Deposit can be worth as much as several tons of the Common.

Apparently, through something called Dust Alchemy, everything but Radiation Dust can be artificially created using mixtures of other Dust, though obviously it is more complicated than mixing them. The Quality is never as good as Natural Dust, but it covers the gap in supply for the rarer kinds.

The map, while still mostly bare and lacking details, was coming along too. Sapphire also made a habit of labelling all the new tunnels and caves we came across with the same system used throughout the mine. She also made other little notes, like measurements and observations she made. Apparently, the map she was making here is just the notes to make a proper one later, so the more notes she made now, the more detailed the finished map would be.

Eventually Sapphire seemed to think she had enough information to get things started on the real map, she packed up her supplies before glancing at me with a warm smile.

"I have to admit Grimm, you've done better than I thought you would today. I was worried you wouldn't be able to keep up or get scared or something…then again, even I heard about what happened with that Beowolf the other day, so I guess you aren't the sort of kid to be scared of the dark. Anyway, we're pretty much done now in here for the map. It's better to work outside to make the real map now that we have the bones to work with," she said before pausing with a frown.

"Shame we couldn't find any Deposits though…would have been a nice boost…" she added, trailing off at the end and staring at the tunnels we hadn't checked yet.

I admit what I did next was partly because I want the Quest Bonus, but also because I kind of liked Sapphire. She's been nice to me to me and seems to genuinely want to help for me to learn. Also, if she does try and cheat me, I can just stop helping her.

Sapphire had taken several steps before she noticed I'd stopped following her, turning to me with a small worried frown. "You ok Grimm?" she asked. Instead of answering her I turned towards one of the tunnels I know leads to a Deposit, though I'm not familiar enough with the Dust to know what it is.

Seeming to panic slightly at me wandering away, Sapphire quickly ran over and grabbed my shoulder, pulling me to a stop. "Hey! What are you doing? I told you don't wander off!"

Shrugging her hand off my shoulder I pointed towards the tunnel I was going to. "You wanted a find, right?" I asked before moving towards the tunnel again.

Only for her to grab my shoulder again and turn me to face her. "Seriously what is wrong with you? Why do you think there is Dust down there?" she asked, seeming to get really worried now.

This time when I shrugged her hand off my shoulder she resisted, and because of my current Debuff she was technically stronger than me so I couldn't pull away. Annoyed, I crossed my arms over my chest in what probably looked like a very childish way…considering I am a child. I made a very deliberate flick with my tongue, and like everyone else her eyes flicked down to the motion.

"I can smell it." I said as plain as I could.

She frowned, followed by slight disbelief, before finally setting on resignation. It was clear she didn't believe me, but was willing to go along with it for a while. "Ok…a quick look. But after that we need to leave okay?" she agreed before moving to walk slightly ahead of me again, something she had done with every new tunnel we explored.

My opinion of her went up slightly at that, even if she was probably only humouring a 4-year-old.

For the next 10 minutes I directed Sapphire through several twists and turns and I could see her patience waning the further we went. In fact, I am pretty sure she was about to call it quits and have us turn around, until we turned a corner and into a cave.

"You have got to be shitting me…" Sapphire whispered to herself, eyes wide and mouth open.

"Told you," I said a little smugly, grinning so much my fangs were clearly showing.

The cave we now stood in wasn't huge like the Nexus, only about the size of a two-story house. It also didn't branch off into others or have any tunnels leading out other than the one we came through. What it did have however, was walls covered in Glowing Dust Crystals, some of the formations being bigger the Sapphire herself. The Crystals were a dark Purple that turned black in the centre where they are the densest, and when I took a step towards one of the formations I felt the air getting thicker from the energy they gave off.

When I noticed she had moved from the entrance of the cave, I turned to face Sapphire and saw she was now staring around in shock before her eyes moved to me. "This is Gravity Dust…and it must be worth at least 5,000L, maybe more. Grimm, how did you know about this?" she asked me, finally moving into the room.

"I told you I can smell it." I said, once again making sure to put emphasis on it when my tongue flicked out.

This time instead of just flicking down and glancing at the action her eyes locked on it, widening further. "Wait you mean you really do Smell Dust…I think I need to sit down…" she said before slumping to the floor and hugging her legs.

I watched silently for a few minutes as her brain tried to process the fact I really can find Dust through smelling. Her eyes shifting from me to the Dust around us several times, while I waited and watched her to see what she would do. Her face went through several different expressions again, confusion, amazement, back to confusion, then fear for some reason before changing to determined.

When the last expression seemed to stick, she motioned for me to come closer and grabbed my shoulders in a firm grip. "Grimm this is important, no matter what…don't tell anyone else that you can smell Dust." Sapphire said, her face set in stone and voice hard to make her point.

I admit, for a moment I thought the worst and that it was going to be like with Silver all over again.

Sapphire noticed my frown and her eyes softened. "Grimm do you have any idea how amazing what you just did is? Or what the SDC would do if they knew about it? You found a Dust Deposit through scent!" she exclaimed, her grip getting a little stronger as she emphasised her words.

"If they know what you can do, they will never let you go." she explained, once again trying to stress how important her words are as her grip tightens.

I admit, that thought had not occurred to me. But in my defence, I didn't think it was that big a deal! It's not like I am the only Faunus with enhanced senses, right? Just the only one with the Gamer ability…that turns it into an upgradable skill…shit.

Seeing the fear that crossed my face as her words sunk in, Sapphire pulled me into a hug. "It's okay Grimm, no one else needs to know about this. As far as the SDC will know, we found this place the same way we always do," she whispers into my ear before pulling back and smiling at me. "So, I have to ask, is this your Semblance? I heard you only unlocked your Aura recently, and it is rare for one to manifest a Semblance so quickly but not impossible," she asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

I gave a small shrug and shook my head. "Don't have my Semblance yet. I'm a Snake Faunus, Snakes have a better sense of smell than sight. Aura just make it even better," I said, bullshitting. Somehow, I manage to keep a straight face.

Sapphire seemed to think it over for a moment before giving a slow nod, "Again, not unheard of, I guess. I remember my night vision getting better after I had my Aura Unlocked, though for it to be enhanced this much without it being your Semblance must mean you have a lot of Aura," she said, nodding to herself. If not for the fact it would have given me away, I would have sighed in relief.

Getting to her feet Sapphire walked over to one of the smaller Crystals and without hesitating slammed her pickaxe into the end, chipping a piece off about the size of the palm of her hand and putting it into her bag. I admire her, the action had made me flinch, fearing that the violent action would set the Dust off or something.

Seeing my reaction, she smiled and walked back over. "Don't worry, Gravity Dust is actually one of the most stable. Before processing it's completely inert, needs to be worked on to make it either Increase or Decrease whatever it's used for. Aura might set it off, but you'd need to push a lot into it to get a reaction. Anyway, we need to take a piece back for the SDC to verify, and we need to finish mapping out the whole Nexus before they will start mining it. They'll send someone down to verify the Deposit and once they have, the opening will be dug out at least so it is easier to get in and out of," she explained quickly before leading me back out of the cave.

0o0

We were stopped at the checkpoint on the way out and Sapphire showed them the Dust Crystal she chipped off, along with a very basic map she drew up quickly before we started back. The fact they sent a human to verify the find and wouldn't let us go until he came back was a little annoying though. Keeping to her word Sapphire said nothing about what I did. Not only that but after the Runner had come back and confirmed the find, we were paid, and I was more than a little surprised when she gave me 3500L from the 5000L. Even with everything, I was kind of expecting her to cheat me.

After that we went through the process of leaving the mine through the Checkpoint, which took way too long in my opinion. They even went as far as to pat us down after the Dust Detector didn't react.

The moment we stepped outside, my vision was filled with Notifications.

**(!)**

**Quest Alert!**

**High Ho, High Ho, Off to Work You Go!**

You have been given a job in the Mine on the 'Exploration Team' with Sapphire. Time to learn the ropes.

**Objective**:

Work 1 day in the Mine [X]

Help Map Out an Unexplored Section of the Mine [X]

**Bonus Objective**: Find a Dust Deposit [X]

**Rewards**: 1000exp, 500L, Cartography Skill Level 5, Drawing Skill Level 5

**Bonus Reward**: 1000exp, 3500L, +2 STR

**Objective Complete!**

**Bonus Objective Complete!**

**(!)**

**New Skills Learned!**

**Cartography**: Level 5- (Active) The Ability to draw maps. Your skill is enough to draw a (**Basic**) map of (**Poor**) quality.

**Drawing**: Level 5 (Active) The Ability to draw a picture. Your skill is enough to draw a (**Basic**) picture of (**Poor**) quality.

**(!)**

**Level Up!**

**+5sp**

**(!)**

With a thought the notifications were gone, and I followed Sapphire to the Mess Hall.

It was only the afternoon, there was still a little light, and most people were still working so it wasn't busy. We grabbed some slop that the SDC tried to call 'food' and found a table in the corner out of the way from the few people that were about. Sapphire pulled out the rough map she had made down in the Mine and a new blank sheet of paper before she even started eating. I could hear her muttering to herself, mostly working out the measurements as she worked on a more detailed map.

After a few minutes she glanced up and saw me doing that staring thing I got into the habit of doing, that I recently concluded I didn't do on purpose anymore...Snake Faunus instincts are apparently stronger than I realised. Surprisingly, instead of flinching like everyone else did, Sapphire smile.

"You know, your mother told me you do that, she also said the people's reactions when you did it always made her chuckle," she said casually, as if it was nothing. My eyes widened at her words, the spoon of slop stopping halfway to my mouth.

Seeming to realise what she said Sapphire paused in her work and looked up at me with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…" she started, before letting out a sigh and leaning back in her seat. "I guess I should just be straight here, your more mature than I thought you'd be so…I volunteered to mentor you. When Pick asked for a volunteer I didn't hesitate, because when I first started out your mother was my mentor. I figured I owed it to her to look after you, keep you safe." Sapphire explained before leaning over the table and taking my hand. "She was a good person Grimm, she looked after me and taught me everything I know," she added at the end before leaning back again.

She seemed to hesitate a moment before continuing. "Not everyone is like that…the SDC, the way the system works here breeds competition. Work better than everyone else, get better pay. It turns us against each other. But your Mom…she didn't just train me a little and send me off, she went the extra mile and we partnered up. When she got sick, I tried so hard to make enough to help pay for medication. But I was stuck on a dead end section that was already mostly mapped and that bastard Pink refused to let me move on before it was all mapped out…" Sapphire went on, the hate in her voice at the end practically dripping from her words.

She stopped herself from saying anything more though, when the sound of the door opening was heard as several human guards walked in, her eyes shooting over to the group with her lips tight. Turning back to her map she spent the next few minutes in silence until the group sat on the opposite side of the hall, though she kept her voice down and didn't look up.

"Your Mom was good to me Grimm, and I couldn't help her when she needed me. So, don't worry, I've got your back," she finally said before turning her full attention back to her work.

As she was doing that, I took a moment to think over this new revelation. It actually made more sense considering the majority of the people I met in this mine were looking out for themselves. Knowing why Sapphire was being so nice to me actually made me feel a lot better.

Now the only problem is the countdown in my head, ticking away as I thought about the 'Path Quest' as the timer kept ticking. Soon I will need to make a choice. Stay and fight, mostly likely dying in the process. Or run, abandon everyone here to their fate, and live another day.

0o0

**So, another chapter down, hope you all like it.**

**I'm not doing a poll in regards to the Path Quest, but would like to hear what you think.**

**Also I am going to be putting the basic stats at the end of every chapter to show Stats and such.**

0o0

**Level**: 3 (1040 - 3000)

**Titles**: Little Monster, Miner

**Name**: Grimm Reaper

**Aura**: (5000/5000) Regain 20% Per Hour

**Age**: 4

**Race**: Faunus- Snake

**Money**: 5075L

**Semblance**: (Locked) (Unlock at Level 10)

**Climate**: Cold

Stats

**Strength**: 31 (-50%) = 15.5

**Dexterity**: 30 (-50%) = 15

**Aura**: 41

**Charisma**: 15

**Stat Points**: 17


	3. Chapter 3

**Another chapter up! Thank you to everyone that has been reading and an even bigger one to those who took the time to leave a Review.**

**A few people have been asking about if Grimm will go to Beacon. While I try to avoid spoilers, I will say that yes, he will. A few people expressed that they didn't think there would be a point for him to because by that point he would be too strong to bother anyway. I will say that this will not be the case. While the levelling will not be as slow as in the original, there are still a few things that have not come up about the Gamer System until they become relevant.**

**I just wanted to make it clear for those who really don't want him to go. This way if you don't want to keep reading you can stop, instead of leaving Flames when it gets to that point. I know not everyone who thinks this would leave a Flame but let's be honest, there are always a few people like that waiting for a reason.**

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think!**

0o0

**Disclaimer**: I don't own RWBY :(

0o0

**Beta'd By**: eeveelutionlover2000

0o0

Chapter 3- Eye of the Swarm

0o0

**6 Days to Path Quest Decision Deadline**

0o0

By the time Sapphire and I split up at the end of the day she had already managed to draw up most of the map for where we had explored today. I get the feeling that if she wasn't taking the time to show me what she was doing and how she would write the map, she would have been finished much sooner. Probably would have been down in the Mine longer too, and thus would have gotten more of the Map finished.

After a quick 'bath' using an old cloth and the cold water from the sink in my room, I laid down on my bed and stared at my only current Quest and the numbers from the timer slowly ticking away.

Honestly, I know that it wasn't really much of a choice. Between the chance of survival and just what the Quest required, 'Stand And Fight!' wasn't really an option. Even with the rewards being so tempting. While it was possible I could manage to level up and rise my stats that high in five years, I don't know what my growth rate was going to be like, and it would only get harder and harder. It was almost like the Game System added the survival percentage on purpose to discourage me from choosing it. As for 'Tail Between Your Legs', while it didn't have anywhere near the potential rewards, if I don't survive anyway what difference would it make?

'Tail Between Your Legs' is the only real option.

The problem is that if I choose it, I would be leaving everyone here to surely die, including Sapphire. Even if I only met her today, she was probably the closest thing I had to a friend at this point, and the thought of leaving her made me uneasy. If I told her about the threat, assuming she actually believed me, I doubt Sapphire would be willing to leave the others behind. Though from what I had seen she might not mind leaving the humans, but considering everything that goes on here I doubt I can do anything about that.

After all, as far as she is concerned, I've lived my whole, short, life here. What would I know about the world outside the Mine and SDC?

I asked around and it turns out you can actually buy a place on a Bullhead out of the Mine when they shipped the Dust out across Remnant. The problem is that it cost 50,000L per person, the SDC being able to charge however much they wanted because theirs are the only Bullheads coming and going from the Mine. You could try just walking away, but the closest village from the Mine was 30 miles away through Grimm infested mountains and woodland. Few people were stupid enough to try that, even if they are desperate. It's why so few people ever actually leave the Mine, the SDC had made the system in such a way that we might as well be prisoners here.

With an irritated hiss I closed the Window and brought up something different.

**Track**: Level 13- (**Active**) The nose knows, and so does the tongue. Using your tongue, you can cross the boundary between smell and taste, allowing you to track smells like a snake. You can use this to track: Animals, Humans/Faunus, Grimm, and Dust. You are able to distinguish between things you are familiar with.

To be honest, until Sapphire gave me that warning I hadn't realised just how dangerous this Skill was. I mean, it was just so…basic. It proved that even if I had some knowledge of this world from my past life, it was only a limited view. I had seen the world through the show, but there was so much more going on in the background that had never been shown. A whole different world of history and traditions, there was no way it could have shown everything.

I don't even know where in the timeline I am at the moment! Not for sure anyway. From what I had heard from the few workers with any kind of contact with the outside world there was a White Fang, but it was still small and Peaceful. But all that told me was that it was before the start of RWBY. I could be the same age as the cast or several years younger. How long had the White Fang existed as a Peaceful Protest Group before they were radicalized? How old was Blake when they turned to violence? For all I know the news could come in tomorrow about the change.

I am so far out of my depth and with the realisation that this wasn't a simple two-dimensional TV show, but an actually real world with real people and a real history, it was simply overwhelming.

0o0

**(!)**

**You have slept in a bed. AP and HP Have Been Fully Restored!**

**(!)**

That was going to get really annoying very quickly, I just know it. But before I could dismiss the Window and go back to sleep, it was replaced with a new one.

**(!)**

**Quest Alert!**

**Get to Work!**

**Objective**: Help Sapphire map out more of the Nexus Carven [ ]

**Bonus Objective**: Find and Report a Dust Deposit [ ]

Rewards: 100exp, 100L

**Bonus Reward**: 300exp, ?L (**Note**) Pay dependant on type, quality and size of Dust Deposit

**Repeatable Quest!**

**(!)**

Basically, the Game System turned my job into a quest. The rewards weren't great, but it was better than nothing and repeatable. Oddly enough, it didn't even have the option to accept it or not, but I guess it's just the System's way of making my life more game-like. Even if I didn't accept the Quest I would still be going down and working anyway, so why bother making it an option, I guess.

Rolling out of bed, I quickly grabbed my things and made my way to the Mess Hall, glancing at the clock in the hallway on my way to see it was 4:30 am.

I found Sapphire already sitting at the same table we had sat the day before, just as she was finishing the last part of the map from yesterday, though most of the paper was still blank and waiting to be filled. She glanced up when I sat down across from her with another bowl of 'food', the slop the only dish available seeing as the last Hunter Group wasn't expected back for another day or two to restock the kitchen's meat supply.

She gave me a warm smile as she put the map away and started on her own bowl.

"Morning Grimm, I hope you got enough sleep. Now that I know you can keep up so well, we are going to be pushing a little harder today. I grabbed us a Ration Bar each so we can eat down in the Mine and get more of the Map done." She tossed one of said bars to me to put in my bag.

Ration Bars are without a doubt the worst invention to ever come out of Atlas. They tasted like cardboard and were somehow both dry as chalk and chewy as rubber at the same time. However, they were cheap, even by the Mine's Standards, and a single bar had the same nutrients and calories as a full meal. Technically you could live off the things, and some of the Miners actually did.

Seeing my disgusted expression Sapphire giggled. "They aren't that bad," she tried to defend, only to sigh at the blank expression I sent her, "Okay, they are that bad, I admit. But they are cheap, and the only food allowed in the Mine. If we eat them for lunch instead of coming back up to eat here, we can get more work done."

Letting out a sigh I nodded, though the frown didn't leave my face. "Fine, but I still hate the things." I muttered under my breath, only for Sapphire's cat ears on top of her head to twitch, and for her to let out another giggle.

Like the day before, after going through the checkpoint Sapphire led the way back towards the Nexus we were mapping out, though her pace was a little faster than yesterday and we made it in about ten minutes. It seemed The SDC wasn't wasting time now that it was Confirmed there was Dust to be in the new mines, the crack leading into the Nexus having been widened by the people working the Night shift. It was still a rough tear in the stone but at least now Sapphire could walk through it without turning sideways.

Moving to the middle of the room Sapphire stopped and turned to me, putting the lantern down for a moment. "Alright, I know you can smell where the Dust is, but we still need to map out the whole Nexus. Also, keep reporting that we found Deposits too often, and they will send others down here to map this place out faster so they can start mining it. At the moment there are already plenty of deposits already being worked on so while knowing the one you found yesterday will get their interest, they are in no rush at the moment to start cutting it out. Better we space it out," she explained.

It made sense, if the SDC thinks there is so much Dust here that we can find a deposit every day, they will want to get it mapped out quickly to get working on ripping it out.

"I get it," I agreed, "If we pace ourselves in such a large area it would be a steady stream of pay for a while. Better to take our time while it's just us here and milk it for all we can."

Sapphire stared at me for a moment with an unreadable expression on her face before her eyes narrowed slightly. "You know…you are a lot smarter than any 4-year-old I have ever met…I swear sometimes its like you are older," she said, staring at me for a moment longer before giving a shrug and turning away.

Oh god, she almost gave me a heart attack!

0o0

**3 Days to Path Quest Decision Deadline**

0o0

I'm avoiding making a decision, I know I am. But every time I am about to confirm a choice my brain freezes, and I start thinking about why I should choose the other. Unlike an actual game where things don't really matter in the end, this is my actual life. I wonder if I was this indecisive in my last life.

The last two days had been simple enough, mapping out more of the Nexus with Sapphire. I had suggested that even if we didn't report it that we could still make note of the Dust Deposits I know are around, but Sapphire shot the idea down. The time it would take us to map out the area leading to the deposits would take away from the time mapping out other areas. If we are not claiming them yet, she explained, it wasn't worth checking them until we did.

There is also the fact that if a Forman decided to inspect our work and saw the maps with Dust Deposits marked down that weren't claimed we would both be in a lot of trouble. While most didn't bother to check, sometimes they did and, as Sapphire put it, she didn't want to be at the mercy of a Human who decided to check their work trying to look for a mistake. Not to mention the questions it would bring as to how we had been able to find the direct routes to the Deposits with no clear search pattern leading to them.

While the first one I led us to can be considered a fluke with Sapphire letting me have some free reign in training, not if I repeated it. Once is a coincidence, twice is suspicious and three is a pattern worth looking into more closely. So, we are avoiding the Dust Deposits like the plague, at least for now. Though she did let me point her in the direction of one for us to slowly work our way to 'naturally' as we mapped out the general area.

I was a little annoyed I wasn't able to get the exp boost from my daily Quest for finding a Dust Deposit, but understood why it had to be this way.

Additionally, I got a new skill at the end of my second day, which is proving to be useful given my current job.

**Pickaxe Skill**: Level 7- (**Active**) Your skill using a Pickaxe. Higher levels mean an increase in Accuracy, Speed and Power of swings. (**Note**) If used as a weapon, Attack- Item Damage +12 +STR +25% DEX.

While not overly impressive, it was proving to be very useful. If my pickaxe wasn't an old piece of crap it would be even better of course, but the chances of getting a new one was very low.

I also managed to get another 2 points in STR and 1 in DEX, though again, the gaps between the points seemed to be getting longer apart and I could feel myself starting to stagnate.

But today we were finally going to 'find' the Deposit we had been slowly working towards for the last few days. It was a Dust I was more familiar with, but I still wasn't experienced enough to tell exactly what. Mostly likely it was one of the Common Dust Elements I had handled more often while working as a Sorter.

"Are you ok in there Grimm?" Sapphire called from behind me, her voice echoing a little in the narrow tunnel I was crawling through.

Right before we came to the Deposit, we hit a dead-end. The only way through was a small tunnel too small for Sapphire to fit through, but with a little effort I can squeeze through.

"I'm ok, I think it's just around the next corner!" I called back.

Once I confirmed the deposit, we would be able to dig out the tunnel, so it is wide enough for other people to get through, but Sapphire was a stickler about procedure. She was more paranoid about the SDC finding out about me then I was. Sending me down a small tunnel in the section we are already mapping, and finding a Dust Deposit, that is believable. But only if the tunnel leading to it is actually big enough for me to fit through. If I can't get to it then we are not claiming it.

"Ok, just remember to be careful when you go through, until we know what kind of Dust it is," she reminded me for the fifth time since I started crawling.

It wasn't that the tunnel was very long, it was just small and a little twisted, making it difficult to fit even with my small size. Luckily this is where being a Snake Faunus comes in use. With my Flexible Racial Skill and my high DEX making me a natural Contortionist, I can squeeze through most anything with a little effort. Though my pickaxe made things even more difficult because it was only just small enough to fit, and got caught a few times.

After about five minutes of wriggling and struggling I reached the other side and fell to the ground with a thud. Turns out that while the tunnel was on the ground on the side I went in, it was about a four-foot drop on the other end that cost me a little Aura because I landed on my head.

"Grimm! What was that? I heard a thump!" Sapphire called out before I even got back up, her worry clear in her tone.

"I'm fine, just wasn't expecting the drop on this end…" I called back, only to trail off when I turned to take in the room I had crawled into.

It was twice the size of the one that had the Gravity Dust, with several other tunnels leading out to other caves from which a small breeze came through. The walls were also completely coated in dark red, almost crimson, Dust Crystals. There were even formations sprouting out of the ground three times my size. They were glowing so bright it actually hurt a little to look at them directly, meaning it is of good quality and the heat they gave off filled the room.

Turning back to the tunnel I just fell out of I pulled myself up, so I was facing the hole before calling back to Sapphire.

"We got Fire Dust! A lot of it, and good Quality too!"

"That's great! But stay away from it, Fire Dust is a lot more unstable than Gravity. One spark and it will set off a chain reaction that will set off the whole Deposit. I'll start on this side while you go from your side and we will meet in the middle," she called back, and a moment later I could hear her digging.

Picking my own pickaxe from where it fell when I hit the ground, I was about to start swinging when the breeze going through the cave changed directing as my tongue did its habitual flick. My body froze on instinct as a new scent hit me, one that I could only describe as rotten eggs mixed with oil. The smell of the Dust had covered it, but now that I was so close to the source, I could smell it. It wasn't something I recognised, but it did set off an alarm in my head screaming 'DANGER!'

Slowly turning, so my back is against the wall, my tongue flicking out constantly, my eyes slowly scanned the room again looking for the danger. Seeing nothing hiding between the Dust Crystals or down the other tunnels, it suddenly occurred to me that I made the same mistake people do in the movies that gets them killed.

Very slowly…I looked up and felt my blood freeze.

They covered every inch of the cave roof, not an inch left free, hanging upside-down with their winged arms wrapped around themselves. They looked like bats, white bone masks with the usual red markings covering the tops of their heads and white bone coating the edges of their wings. They averaged at about a foot tall, but there were more than enough to be considered a swarm.

**Screecher** X1072

**Level**: 10

**Health**: (500/500)

The fact that I could only see their name, level, and health wasn't helping my nerves. From the dullness of the red light behind their masks that were a Grimm's eyes, it was clear that they were all asleep, which is probably the only reason I am still alive right now.

Suddenly the sound of Sapphire's pick hitting the stone as she slowly widened the entrance into the cave seemed a lot louder than it was a moment ago.

Still moving slowly, I pulled myself back up to the hole and, in a mix of a whisper and a shout, called down the tunnel. "Sapphire…we have a problem..."

Seeming to hear the fear in my voice the sound of digging stopped instantly, and when she called down her voice was also that odd mix of loud and quiet. "Grimm…what's wrong?" she asked, worry in her voice. But even then, it was enough to make several of the Grimm stir before settling down, making my heart rate speed up for a moment in panic.

"Grimm…lots of bat-like Grimm too many to count, covering the top of the cave…I think they are asleep…should I use my Beacon?" I asked, and even from the other side of the opening I heard her breath hitch and could practically see her panicked face.

"No!" she shouted in panic, making me shoot a look behind me to the sleeping swarm where they stirred yet again at the sudden noise. "Don't use the Beacon. If you set it off that close to as high a concentration of Fire Dust as you say, the signal might set the Deposits off," she warned, once again whispering. "Just…slowly…climb back through. I'm setting my Beacon right now. Just get back through here before they notice you."

With one last glance towards the sleeping Grimm, I pulled myself back up to the hole with a mix of my arms and tail. I had just pulled myself up enough to climb in, when the stone under my right hand came loose. Both I and the hunk of rock fell back down, the rock falling out of my hand and loudly bounding across the room. For a moment everything went quiet and I held my breath, lying on my back staring at the Grimm hanging above me. Then the Screechers hanging over my head twitched, the red glow in its eyes brightened, and even though it didn't have actual eyes, I knew they had locked on me.

It was quickly followed by every other Screecher waking up, every eye locked on me.

"Shit…Sapphire!" I screamed in panic.

I think Sapphire might have tried to answer me, but at that moment every Screecher dropped down at once. The air around me was filled with swirling black blurs, the Screechers flying around me in a circle, forming a whirlwind. They didn't close in the last few feet though, keeping me in the eye of the Grimm-made storm. Within seconds I was surrounded by a solid wall of Grimm so thick I couldn't even see the light from the Dust Crystals.

Then they started to use their namesake…the whole swarm Screeched as one. It was like I was hit from every direction at once, the sound pressing down on me to the point I couldn't breathe. I could feel pressure building up in my head so strong my eyes felt like they were going to pop out. I tried to block the noise by covering my ears with my hands, but when I tried, I felt something wet and sticky on the side of my head. My legs gave out under me and I fell to my knees, curling up into a ball.

It wouldn't stop, I was being constantly bombarded on every side. My vision was getting dark around the edges, and even though the screeching didn't stop it seemed to be coming from far away.

Out of nowhere there was a flash of red light that broke the Screechers formation for a moment, and while the sound faltered, it didn't stop, recovering quickly as the assault continued.

Then suddenly, Sapphire was in front of me. Her face pale and set in panic, grabbing me by the shoulders, shaking me. She had something tied around her head that were holding something against her ears. Her lips were moving but there was no sound coming out, and even with my failing vision I could see the pain on her face as the screeching went through her improvised protection.

After a few more shakes that didn't get a reaction from me, Sapphire looked around before seeming to come to a decision. Her hand reached into my bag and came out with my Beacon, and without pause she activated the Red Signal and tossed it away. It skidded across the ground and out of the wall of Grimm, disappearing from view.

Before the Beacon was out of sight Sapphire threw herself over me, her arms tightly wrapped around my body. Through my blurry vision I saw something appear around us, a purple shimmer in the air in the shape of a dome.

I took a moment to glance at my Aura, eyes widening in fear at what I saw.

**Aura**: (0/5000)

**Health**: (17/200)

**(!)**

**Warning!**

**Aura Broken!**

**Reset Time: **H11:M59.:S26

**(!)**

A few seconds of being subjected to the Screechers attack and I am almost dead! Even as I am looking at it, my Health dropped another ten points. If this didn't stop soon, I was going to find out what happened when my health hits zero.

Luckily, that was when something happened. There was a bright flash of light and suddenly the wall of Grimm scattered and was replaced by a wall of fire. The barely visible purple shimmering dome that surrounded us flared darker, strengthening against the flames as they pressed against it. Even with the barrier between us and the flames, some of the heat got through, making it feel like we were being slowly cooked.

This continued for almost a full minute before it died down.

The last thing I saw before the blackness completely covered my vision was Sapphire, panting in exhaustion as she gently turned me over, so I was lying on my back.

0o0

**0 Days to Path Quest Decision Deadline**

0o0

**(!)**

**You have slept in a bed. AP and HP Have Been Fully Restored!**

**(!)**

**Battle Log!**

**Grimm Killed**: Screechers- (253/1072)

**Total Exp From Kills**:

**Screecher**: 150exp X253

37,950exp

**Horde/Swarm Bonus X2 Exp**

75,900exp

**You Killed**: (0/1072)

**Kill Assist Bonus**: (253/1072)

**Total Exp From Kill Assist Bonus**: (**Note**) 10% of Total Kill Exp

7590exp

**Survival Bonus**: 500exp

**Total Exp**: 8090exp

**(!)**

**Grimmology Notebook Unlocked!**

**Juvenile Beowolf Info Added!**

**Screecher Info Added!**

**(!)**

**Achievement Alert!**

**Eye of the Swarm!**

**You survived an Attack from a Swarm of Grimm!**

**Rewards**: 500exp and 5sp

**(!)**

**Level Up!**

**X2**

**+10sp**

**(!)**

**Path Quest Update!**

**Time has run out to choose!**

**You have not chosen your path. Due to this the System has decided for you.**

**Your path is…**

**Tail Between Your Legs**

**(!)**

That was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes, a steady stream of information that only made my pounding headache worse. Even though my Aura and Heath are apparently back to full, I could hear ringing in my ears. It was mostly likely all in my head, phantom pains and symptoms left over from the attack, but it still felt real.

Groaning, a quick glance around showed I was in my room in the worker Quarters. Not surprising, the medical beds are reserved for people who can afford to pay for them.

"Grimm! Thank Monty you're awake." Without warning I was pulled into a hug, having not noticed Sapphire sitting on the floor next to my bed.

Blinking in surprise, I pulled away and sent the older girl a confused look.

"Sapphire…why are you here? What happened? I was in the mine…there were Grimm everywhere…and then you…" I trailed off, having a little trouble putting everything together.

Taking a seat on the bed next to me, Sapphire took my hand and squeezed gently. "It's ok, I know you must be confused. Everything happened so fast, and you've been out for a few days," she said, before a small frown crossed her lips. "The moment I heard the Screechers start…well, screeching, I knew you were in trouble. Had to rip my bag up to make some ear defenders, cause while not as strong on the outside as inside the swarm, the screech was still painful. I still couldn't fit through the tunnel so I overfilled my lantern with the spare Dust I had on hand, rigged it to explode, and chucked it into the tunnel. It was enough to open the tunnel, and even scattered the Screechers enough for me to get to you," she explained, her grip on my hand getting a little tighter for a moment as she remembered.

After a moment she recovered and loosened her grip, but still didn't let go of my hand. "They recovered too quickly though, and the gap closed before I could get you out. You had blood coming out your eyes and ears, and I could see you were about to pass out or worse, so I did something…stupid," she continued, her face getting pensive as she did. "Remember when I said Fire Dust can be a little unstable, and not to set off your Beacon because the signal might cause a reaction?" she questioned.

Eye widening at what she was suggesting, I felt my mouth drop open. "You blew up the whole cave! Seriously how are we still alive?" I blurted out, too shocked to stop myself.

Sapphire gave a resigned sigh and shrugged. "My Semblance…do you know what a Semblance is?" she started, only to realise she was talking to a 4-year-old who might not actually know what she was talking about. She waited until after I nodded that I did. "Right, why wouldn't you know, you seem to know more then you should anyways," she muttered to herself before continuing. "My Semblance 'Barrier' lets me create…well barriers. It costs a lot of Aura to use and keep up, but it's strong…strong enough to protect us long enough for the explosion to end. Most of the Screeches fled down other tunnels when the Dust started exploding, but a few died in the first couple of explosions before they broke formation," she finished.

Blinking slowly as I took in her words, I couldn't stop the grin that slowly spread across my lips. "So…I never knew you were so good with explosion…" I said, making her groan and turn away in embarrassment. "I mean, when did you learn to turn a lantern into an improvised bomb?" I asked.

"Shut up! It worked didn't it?" she cried, her own smile forming even if her cheeks were red from embarrassment.

I shifted on my bed, so I was more comfortable. Stretching my arms above my head I let out another groan as something clicked. It was then I realised something and frowned, turning to Sapphire with narrowed eyes. "Sapphire…why did you just happen to be here when I woke up?" I questioned.

She winces at the question, her cat ears falling flat against her head and tail going limp. "About that, because of the Screechers our Nexus is being quarantined until they can arrange for some Hunters from Atlas to be sent to clear them. While the normal guards can handle one or two, a whole swarm is way above their skill level," she explained. "Also…the SDC wasn't happy about losing the Dust deposits," she added on the end, a little anger creeping into her voice at the last part.

Not liking where this was going, I narrowed my eyes in a very snake-like expression. My tongue was flicking out as I got more nervous when she didn't continue.

"What happened?" I finally asked.

"They can't outright stop us working, as lacking as the SDC is with worker rights, even they can't get away with that. Especially with them sending for Hunters from Atlas to come and clear up this whole mess, too many eyes on this now. But…they can refuse to give us a new area to map out and with our Nexus quarantined until it's cleared…I have enough saved up to keep us going for a few weeks until the Grimm are cleared, but it will be tight," she explained, trailing off at the end with a sigh and a shrug.

Frowning as my tongue flicked out in annoyance, I shifted so my little legs were dangling over the edge of the bed as I sat next to Sapphire.

"So, they are throwing a hissy fit because we blew up the Fire Dust Deposit to save ourselves?" I asked, my own voice now tinged with anger.

"No, they are pissed at me for blowing up the Dust and saving us. You're my trainee/partner and are getting caught up in it. None of this is your fault, ok…none of it," she stressed, hard eyes locked on mine.

I couldn't stop the dry chuckle that escaped my lips. You would be surprised at the deadpan looks you can make when you have Snake features.

"Right, except for the fact that I led us to the Dust. Didn't notice the fact it was full of Grimm until I was already in and made too much noise trying to get out and woke them all up…none of this is my fault," I said sarcastically.

I wasn't prepared for Sapphire's reaction.

The air around her hand shimmered the same purple as her Aura in the shape of a small sphere, and when she slammed it into the wall my bed was against, it left a perfectly circular indent.

Eyes widening, I backed away slightly and took a moment to bring up Sapphire's info, only for my eyes to widen even more.

**Level**: 25 (**Locked**)

**Title**: Miner

**Name**: Sapphire Stalker

**Age**: 15

**Aura**: (25,600/25,600)

**Race**: Faunus- Panther

**Stats**

**STR**: 32

**DEX**: 53

**CHA**: 40

**(!)**

**Important System Alert!**

**Hidden Feature Revealed!**

**Level Lock**

**First Lock at Level 5**: Unlock- Unlocking Aura.

**Second Lock at 25**: Unlock- By joining a Group that provides training. (**Example: Military, Hunter Academy**)

**Third Lock at 50**: Unlock- Varies depending on group joined.

**Forth Lock at 100**: Unlock- ?

**(!)**

Shit…shit! shit! shit! shit! shit! shit! shit! I mean, good for Sapphire, killing those Grimm did her a lot of good and she is a lot stronger than she was before. But what the hell! The System has a lock on Levels even after Aura is unlocked? Why am I only seeing this now?

Wait a moment…the level locks at 25…so how was I supposed to get to level 50 if I chose 'Stand And Fight!'?! It was literally impossible! Path Quest my arse, it's a Trap Quest!

I was broken out of my inner panic at the narrow escape when Sapphire, mistaking my inner turmoil for fear at her almost putting a hole through the wall, backed away slightly while still taking my hand. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. It's just…this isn't your fault, or mine. It's theirs! The SDC and their money obsessed-!" she started before cutting herself off and taking a deep breath. "Sorry…again. I'm just a little…annoyed," she apologised again.

She fell silent after that, eyes locked on the wall.

Letting out a sigh I moved closer to her again to let her know I wasn't scared before talking. "I have some money saved up too. It's not much but it will make things a little less tight." I said.

That seemed to soften Sapphire's mood, a small smile crossing her lips. "You know I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You're a lot smarter than any 4-year-old has any right to be." Her smile was gone a moment later though as it fell back into a serious line. "We can't keep on like this, not forever. The way we are treated here is little better than slaves. You deserve better than this Grimm…we both do," her voice getting firmer with conviction as she spoke. "It might take a while, maybe even years, but between the two of us we can save up enough to get out of here. Maybe even make our way to Menagerie, start over with our own people away from Humans," she said, grabbing my hand and squeezing it tightly for a moment.

**(!)**

**Quest Update!**

**A new Objective has been added to the Quest 'Tail Between Your Legs'.**

**Tail Between Your Legs!**

**Objective**:

Leave before the Grimm overrun the Mine [ ]

Reach Level 10 [ ]

Reach at least 100 in both STR and DEX [ ]

Raise Aura to 20,000 [ ]

Leave at Least 30 Days Before the Grimm Attack [ ]

**Update…**

Save at Least 100,000L Between Yourself and Sapphire to Buy Passage on a Bullhead [ ]

Save at least 50,000L Between Yourself and Sapphire to Survive Off Of After Leaving [ ]

**Rewards**: 500exp for every task complete if you follow this path, 10sp

**95% chance of surviving**

**(!)**

Getting rid of the notification after a quick glance over it, I turned my attention back to Sapphire to see her waiting for my answer and gave a small, but firm, nod.

0o0

Sapphire left shortly after our talk, having spent the last few days watching over me while I was unconscious, I told her to go have some time to herself. She was reluctant at first, but eventually gave in and left. It really was like having an overprotective older sister with her around now, the thought brought a small smile to my face.

This gave me time to think over everything I learned after waking up and to process things. The fact that the Game System had purposefully hidden things from me made me nervous. What else might be hidden in the System, waiting to screw me over?

It shook my confidence a lot more than I realised that I had no time to think it over more without Sapphire watching over me. So, I decided to look into my new 'Grimmology' skill/tab/whatever it was, to take my mind off it. Three cheers for avoiding complicated thoughts!

Finding the Grimmology tab in my menu and clicking it with a mental command, the screen in front of me took on an old parchment quality and the text changed to loopy calligraphy to match it.

**(!)**

**Grimmology Log**

**This contains a record of the Grimm you have either Seen, Killed or assisted in Killing. New entries are added automatically. Please note that any Grimm who passed the first stage of development require more than 1 kill for complete information. Personal Observations will also add Information.**

**When completed, an entry will include an image of the Grimm, basic information and the Level and Stats for the type of Grimm the page pertains to. Levels and Stats for Grimm are worked out differently from Human/Faunus/Animals. Levels are fixed based on species and are between 1 to 100 and Stats are based on a score of 1 to 50. It also contains their Emotion sensing ability, Empathy, graded on a 1 to 15 scale on how strong their ability is.**

**(!)**

**_Juvenile Beowolf_**_: 100%_

_Humanoid Wolf based Grimm found worldwide. Beowolf are the most common Grimm found across the whole of Remnant. Juvenile Beowolf grow to around 6-7 feet tall with black fur but lack a Bone Mask or any of the Bone Armour/Growths the Creatures of Grimm are known for. They are balanced in terms of strength and speed, with no particular skill for either. They are considered little more than pests by anyone with even a small amount of Aura Training. The only notable thing about them is their adaptability that allows them to live in any condition, their overwhelming numbers, and their ability to work as a group._

**_Attack Style_**_\- Pack Hunter, Wild_

_Juvenile Beowolf have little impulse control and no survival instinct. They will charge endlessly regardless of danger and attack wildly. However, they are never alone and always move in packs. If you only see one, it is because another is about to attack you from another direction._

**_Empathy Level_**_: (5/15)_

**_Threat Level_**_: Small_

**_Average Stat Breakdown_**_-_

**_Level_**_: 5_

**_Strength_**_: (7/50)_

**_Dexterity_**_: (7/50)_

**_Intelligence_**_: (1/50)_

0

**_Screecher_**_: 100%_

_Bat based Grimm found in deep caves. Small and fast, but not strong, they make up for this weakness by living in large groups and attacking as a swarm. Their wings have bone armour coating the edges sharpened to be used as blades. Screechers have the ability to release a weak high-pitched sound wave. However, if an entire Swarm uses this it will cause a great amount of damage. It is also of noted that Screechers will become disoriented and unable to work as a group if exposed to bright light._

**_Attack Style_**_\- Swarm_

_Screechers while weak physically, are very fast in enclosed spaces and have high manoeuvrability that allows them to make last second changes to direction while flying. A Swarm will surround its target and either use the bladed edges of their wings to attack, or a 'Combined Screech'. Whenever you see a Screecher, it is likely a hundred more are close by._

**_Empathy Level_**_: (3/15)_

**_Threat Level_**_: Medium_

**_Average Stat Breakdown_**_-_

**_Level_**_: 10_

**_Strength_**_: (5/50)_

**_Dexterity_**_: (32/50)_

**_Intelligence_**_: (10/50)_

**(!)**

For a moment after reading over the information I blinked, unsure what to think. Then a large smile slowly started spreading across my face.

Interesting fact, because the Creatures of Grimm all have an Empathic sense that makes them attracted to negative emotions, almost all information regarding them is restricted. Unless you are training to be a Huntsman/Huntress or a City's Military, it is almost impossible to find anything. Aura made it easier for the Grimm to sense the emotions of those with Aura, but it didn't mean they can't sense the emotions of those without it.

Limiting the flow of information that the public are able to get means they don't even begin to understand the danger they are in. While everyone knows about Beowolf and Ursa, and that they are dangerous, they were also basic Grimm with very simple abilities. Compared to something like Screechers, who had the ability to blast you with soundwaves, they were little more than dangerous animals.

If the general populace of Remnant knew about half the shit Grimm could do, it would cause a panic, and that panic would cause a surge of Grimm that would cause even more panic. Everything was balancing on a razors edge. While the cities would survive, with their large walls, automated defences, and the simple fact that hundreds if not thousands of huntsmen live in them, the same cannot be said for all the villages outside them.

50% of the Human and Faunus, not including those that live on Menagerie, lived outside the Four Kingdoms. Miner settlements like this one, farming, all the things that the Kingdoms don't have the space for. Places like this, Mines, are more out of the way than others because they can only be set up where Dust is there to mine. Farming villages only needed fertile soil and enough space to set up.

If a large enough panic ensued, it would be those smaller settlements that would be wiped out by the Grimm. Which would cause shortages in both Dust and food in the Kingdoms.

Now I am not saying that a few people getting angry or sad would end the world, but if any 1 or more Kingdom suffered a big enough Tragedy it would quickly spread. It put the Fall of Beacon into an even darker light. It also spoke a lot about Cinder's intelligence, and how why what she did…will do, would cripple not only Vale but severely impact the other Kingdoms too.

But anyway, I got lost in thought again.

The Grimmology thing was a Skill of its own. Kill enough Grimm and I learn more than anyone outside a Hunter school has any right to have. I am sure that there would be people interested in something like that, at least when it has more Grimm added to it.

Leaving those thoughts for now, I used a few thoughts to bring up my stats again and stared at the 32 points I had saved. I almost died in that cave. For the few seconds I was subjected to the Screechers attack, my Aura was broken and my health almost hit 0.

Even with the Debuff I got from the **Cold-Blooded** Perk, my Strength and Dexterity were way above the average for someone both my age and level. While the progress is slow, for now at least I am ahead of the curve and that is an advantage all on its own.

The problem I have is my Aura. So far, the only way I know of to increase it is either Levelling or Stat Points. My Aura is basically my Health, at least that is its main purpose at the moment. There is also the question of what will happen when I hit the Level Lock at 25. Will I still be able to increase my Stats? Will I be able to add Stat Points? The only way I can know is to hit the Lock, and it's not something I want to risk later.

Sighing in annoyance at myself for doing this again, I moved all of the 32sp into my Aura stat. Because the system didn't add the points completely until I slept it didn't feel any different, but I still got to see what my Aura would be when I woke up tomorrow. At level 5, with 73 points in Aura, I have 9400 Aura. Still after what happened it didn't feel like much.

**(!)**

**Stat Milestone Notification!**

**For Reaching 50 in Aura Stat, You Have a New Perk!**

**Naturally High Aura**: (**Passive**) Your body naturally holds and produces more Aura then the average person. 500 Aura per Level. 300 Aura per Stat Point. (**Note**) Updates to your current Aura will be added when the points are applied to your stats after sleep.

**Your Aura after the Perk comes into effect will be…**

(15,800)

**(!)**

Fuck yes!

The System has a Milestone function! This is the best news I have had since waking up.

0o0

**Sorry about the wait on this chapter, and I know it was shorter than the others. Anyway, let me know what you think.**

0o0

**Level**: 5 (2830 - 5000)

**Titles**: Little Monster, Miner

**Name**: Grimm Reaper

**Aura**: (15,800/15,800)

**Age**: 4

**Race**: Faunus- Snake

**Money**: 5275L

**Semblance**: (**Locked**) (Unlock at Level 10)

**Climate**: Cold

**Stats**

**Strength**: 39 (-50%) = 19.5

**Dexterity**: 37 (-50%) = 18.5

**Aura**: 73

**Charisma**: 21

**Stat Points**: 0


End file.
